Timeless
by Sa Rart
Summary: The Titans won the war. The gods have been sealed away, and. for seventy years, the world has remained until the Titan's rule. But there is a challenger to the Titans' rule, a figure from seven decades ago, who is willing to take on Titans again. And she does not come alone.
1. Remember

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO. **

**Author's Note: This is, for all of you newcomers, a series. I recommend that you read both Forgotten and Child of the Titans before reading this story.**

**Anyways… I know this is going to be cryptic, and hard to understand at first. Just know that it will make sense in the end. I can't answer any questions that have to do with the plot, but any other questions are permitted. Also, this takes place roughly seventy years after Child of the Titans. It starts out as Clarisse's POV. Don't worry – everything will be explained, mostly through flashbacks. Just give it time.**

The hot sun woke me, as it did every morning. Even though it was winter, and I was in an air-conditioned house, it did nothing to blunt Texas's terrible heat. Even now, decades later, I wasn't used to it. But I was fine with that. I wouldn't be here much longer.

My name is Clarisse. I am a daughter of Ares – but you probably know that, along with many other things about me.. What you don't know is that I am now working at Eurytion's ranch. It used to be Geryon's, but after Perseus Jackson vanquished him, Eurytion took over.

I had been taken here almost seventy years ago now, and given immortality. I wasn't meant to be part of anything. But through perseverance, hard work, and nosiness equal to that of Athena's children, I had stumbled on the plan meant to last nearly a century. I let my mind wander back, remembering the events that had led to the discovery that had shaped my life.

I stood on a rock, looking down on the forest stretching out before me. They weren't there. The last of the heroes had gone missing this morning, and had not yet returned.

The quest to return Zoë from the Underworld had been successful. They had all made it back, except one Huntress, who had been killed by a creature known as a spawn. Another had been struck down, but with Chiron's healing, she had recovered.

But then, just two days after they had returned, Percy had gone missing. Both the Hunt and the campers had searched, but he had not been found.

The day after that, Zoë was gone as well. This sent whispers circulating throughout the camp. Since Zoë apparently had refused to return to the Hunt after being returned from the dead, the Aphrodite campers had gotten the rumors going around. But the very next day, Thalia went missing as well.

This rock had been where we had stopped looking. Either they were dead, they were captured, or they didn't want to be found. Even the Hunt, even Lady Artemis herself, had been unable to pick up a trail.

For several days, nobody else disappeared. Then, five days after Thalia, both Soaron, the son of Hekate, and Cassandra, the daughter of Gaia, had gone missing, too. Also, scouts reported seeing a woman, dressed all in black, walk through the borders and then out again an hour later, carrying a strange bundle. When they had tried to confront her, she literally froze them, as in with ice. It took them an hour next to the climbing wall to thaw out. Her trail led straight through New York City, where we were unable to conduct a search – there were too many mortals, and mortals were forbidden to witness the Sacred Hunt. Also, turning everyone into jackalopes was hardly an option – we were trying to save the mortals, not destroy them.

Then it was Annabeth. Then Nico. Chiron himself had been on sentry duty, and he had seen nothing. Nothing had damaged the barrier, and yet nothing had been registered as going through. This led to the inevitable conclusions: Either the barriers were failing (again), they were still within the borders, or someone with the strength of a god – or a Titan – was doing this.

But someone had to do something about it. And standing there, upon that rock, I knew that I had to be the one to take the initiative. I made my decision. I would take two or three Hunters and one of those wolves, and I would chase their trail for as long as I had breath in my body. I may not like some of them, but we needed them. If it was the Titans who had them, we were in serious trouble.

I turned, running back through the woods, where everyone was still searching. No one would be in the Ares cabin. I would pray to my father, then, if I got what I needed, I would get the Hunters and go, leaving a note behind so they knew I wasn't one of the missing.

Five minutes later, I was kneeling at the small altar in the Ares cabin.

A minute after that, I was in the Hephaestus cabin, stealing Illusioner, or whatever Beckonderf had decided to call the projector thing that he had made. I stuffed it in my bag along with a police uniform, a dog collar and leash, police inspection tape, and I.D. There was also a small supply of food, three water bottles, and, of course, my spear and shield.

It took some maneuvering and stealth, as well as a steep bribe, to get myself, Acacia, Mathilda, Phoebe, the camp van, and the wolf known as Archaic out, but I managed it.

"So what's the plan?" asked Phoebe, looking at me. She was a tall, stocky, and well muscled girl of twelve years old in appearance, while she in reality was a teenager Artemis had picked up while in England in about the year 1600.

I grinned. I had everything I needed. "Using this –" I held up the projector "– we are going to appear as three police officers with a bloodhound, and then proceed to cordon off the entire area of where we find a trail. Hopefully, it has enough battery life. You three will dress in the uniforms as trainees, while I will use the projector to appear as a police officer. I also have appropriated an I.D., in case our story is questioned."

All three nodded. I knew Acacia fairly well – she was from Maine, and was only about forty years old, which was nothing compared to most of them. She was friendly, supportive, and an excellent fighter. She was also a daughter of Athena, and would be our planner for battle or any infiltration necessary.

I knew Phoebe, too – she had a temper, and was quite stubborn, but she was the best tracker the Hunters had – almost as proficient as Artemis herself. She might not like me, but she would be willing to do anything to help Zoë.

Mathilda was the only one I didn't know quite as well. I had decided to take her for three reasons – her excellent grasp of strategy, her legendary skill with sword and bow, and her cooperativeness. She was more than willing to let others lead, as long as she liked where they were going. I had tried gently probing among the Hunt to find out who she was, but they refused to answer any questions, adding an aura of mystery about her.

"But why do we have to go through all of this trouble?" asked Acacia. "Won't the Mist just cover our tracks, and make the mortals see us differently?"

"It could," I agreed. "But who says it has to make us appear as we want it to? We have no way of knowing what they would see."

"What if we, personally, manipulated it?" persisted Acacia.

I glared at her. I had tried to be more controlled, and not lose my temper, but it got hard. "Look, I've been planning this for a while, and this is the best way to do it! We can't Mist every single Tartarus-spawned human in New York that passes by! The point is to do this quickly, and to be as inconspicuous as possible. Misting the lot of them isn't going to work. What if one of them is clear-sighted?"

"Oh," said Acacia.

"No need to be so vehement, Clarisse," said Mathilda quietly from the front. She was the oldest, and therefore was driving. "We all agreed to come, and we all are on equal footing. Just because you got the ideas doesn't mean you have to be right." She spun the wheel, then glanced back at me.

"Point taken," I mumbled. Even if I didn't like how she had worded her statement, she was right. Besides, it didn't make sense to argue with the Hunters. I needed them.

Looking back on everything, I had to smile at my temper. After so long, I had long since mastered my temper. I only got mad if I wanted to, now.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts of the memories. I needed to stop remembering, and start moving forwards. And I knew that it was time.

The Titans had taken over almost sixty years ago now. They had been badly weakened by the war, however, and it was only in the past forty years that they had reasserted their claim to the world. In less a year, they had defeated all of the rebellious mortals.

The satyrs had turned when the Titans stopped the lumber and deep sea fishing industries. The gods had never taken any moves to stop mortals from destroying the wild, so when the Titans finally saved the Wild, the satyrs were more than happy to help them. The small fraction remaining loyal to the gods had gone into hiding. Nobody knew where they were.

The Titans had allowed us to remain at the ranch after we started sending them supplies. Geryon, thankfully, had not yet reformed. The last thing we needed was for a three-bodied idiot to stumble upon the weapons in the attic, the Cyclopes in the basement, or the satyrs in the woods. Eurytion and I may have appeared to help the Titans, but we had always remained loyal to the gods.

Yawning, Eurytion strode out of his huge bedroom, Orthus on his heels. "Sleep well?" he asked, pulling a box of cereal from the pantry.

I turned and looked at him. His eyes, though sleepy, were alert, and he took in my travel clothes, chain mail cloak and armor, my spear, sword, and shield. He also saw the determination in my eyes.

"It's time?" he asked quietly.

I nodded, letting a smile drift across my face. "It's time," I agreed, putting the sharpening stone into my pocket. "Time to free the Timeless."

Eurytion nodded. "Three things you should take," he said, rummaging around in his pockets. First, he brought out an old sand dollar. It was covered in dust, but it still gleamed slightly. Frowning, I took in the glimmer in the center, and two tiny holes in the back.

"What is it for?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I've got no idea. Percy gave it to me before he… left, told me to keep it safe. He said it might be useful. I've got no idea why, but you might need it. Also…"

He turned and walked into the bedroom, then came out with an old pistol and a small bottle. Dusting off the gun, he handed it to me.

"It's the only gun I could find that matched the celestial bronze bullets I had," he said. He then handed me three small, round chunks of glowing metal. "Just in case," he said.

Eurytion held up the bottle. "This is the most powerful tranquilizer you're ever likely to find," he said. "If you need to battle mortals, just smear a little onto your weapons. The metal itself won't ham them, but they'll fall asleep as soon as it touches them."

He gave it to me, then put a hand on my shoulder. "Good luck, little sister. May the Fates will you to succeed. I would wish for the gods to be with you, but…" he broke off. When the gods were defeated, the Titans had imprisoned them in places unknown. Nobody but the Titans themselves knew where the gods were now.

I nodded, unable to speak. I had spent so long at the ranch; it was my home. I almost couldn't bear the thought of leaving it.

Finally, I was able to say my goodbyes and start to walk, out of the ranch, towards my destination where the timeless ones, the ones who had escaped, were waiting.

**That's pretty much how I'll give you what happened right after CoT – bits and pieces at a time. Any questions I can answer, I gladly will.**

**Thanks!**

**~Sa Rart~**


	2. Pursuit

**Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series. I never will.**

**Author's Note: Sorry for the wait! School got very demanding, and I didn't have any time. Hopefully, I'll be able to update later this week, too. **

**Thanks to MyPenIsSharperThanYourSword, Phoenix Espeon, Zoë Nightshade, and naoman16 for their reviews!**

**This chapter continues with Clarisse's flashback, from her POV. Hopefully, it will do a little bit more to satisfy your curiosity – and remember, reviews are always nice, be they flames or not. Thanks!**

"This makes no sense," growled Acacia. "The trail just disappeared!"

I looked over, interested. Mathilda and Acacia were both searching wildly for the trail, while Archaic, the wolf was sniffing around in a vain attempt to find the trail again.

"Explain." I said, kneeling next to them.

Acacia gestured at the mud at our feet. "This is perfect tracking ground. In fresh mud, she leaves boot-marks a half-blind skeleton warrior could follow. Now that it's dry, it stays there for a while." She nodded at a set of boot marks. "See how one boot print is deeper than the other? That indicates that she was carrying something heavy. At this point here, she shifts the bundle to the other arm, which is shown as the other boot print becoming deeper. But _here _–" she pointed at a section of unmarked mud – "the tracks suddenly disappear. There's a mark of blood just beforehand, as if she was killed or injured, but then we would see a print where the body had fallen. At the same point, Archaic can't get a scent."

I nodded. That made sense. "But where did she go, then?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out," said Mathilda with exaggerated patience.

Phoebe suddenly knelt over the dried mud, finger tracing along it. Suddenly, she slashed a small chunk off, and held it up to the light. What looked like bird poop was dried up inside of her chunk.

"This is dried up from roughly three days ago – the same time that the woman was seen," she said. She pointed to a slight mark of black on the mud. "That's a scorch mark. An open fire dried this mud, not the sunlight."

Acacia nodded, looking impressed. "Now _that's _thinking ahead."

Mathilda frowned. "Just who is this we're tracking? They have to be powerful enough to do this, and smart enough to do this, too. We should have brought more reinforcements."

I was a little clueless, I have to admit. I voiced my questions. "What happened, exactly?"

All three Huntresses sighed and shook their heads simultaneously. Phoebe was the one to explain.

"If the woman can freeze things, she might have other powers, too. This mud has been dried for three days, while the mud _there _–" she flicked her chin up to point at the mud with the boot prints etched in – "has only been dried for two. The kidnapper used a fire, whether magical or physical, to dry the mud before walking on it, therefore leaving no tracks."

I nodded, then, suddenly, alarm bells rang in my mind. I spoke slowly, then faster as I grew convinced of my words. "That means that she knew someone would track her, and they would get to here, at this very point. Wouldn't it be convenient just to get rid of them now?"

Mathilda's eyes widened slightly, and we all threw ourselves to the ground simultaneously. I brought my shield off my back and up as I rolled to the side, tackling the wolf as well.

Barely a second layer, a stream of flaming arrows shot from the wall of the building, then another volley of poisoned pellets. I threw myself to me feet and knocked the poison out of the air before it exploded, doing so just in time.

Suddenly, an arrow shot from behind me and shot directly into the wall where these objects were emerging. Then was a hiss, then a curl of smoke as the trap died.

Phoebe, the archer who had fired, was on her feet again. She took two strides forward, and then ripped the device from the wall.

It was a mechanical device, with slots for multiple long-range missiles concealed cleverly inside. The entire thing had been nestled into a small crater in the wall. Wires were hanging limply out of it, like dead snakes. Miraculously, Phoebe's arrow had severed the main chord, cutting off the power to the device.

"Just who are we dealing with here?" whispered Mathilda, shocked. "I have never seen anyone with both the means and the raw materials necessary for this device."

"That's not all," I said grimly. Grabbing the machine from Phoebe's hands, I grabbed a small component and pulled it off, then showed everyone what was engraved upon it.

"The mark of the Titans," breathed Mathilda. "Of course."

Acacia took the machine and pulled it open. There was a shriek of metal scraping metal as she poked a hole with her knife. A gold-and-black vapor rose out of it, smelling of fire and smoke.

"Magic," said Phoebe.

I drew my spear. "From now on, we need to be ready for traps ahead of us." I said, looking at them. "We don't want any… accidents. If we die, the gods do."

That was definitely a sobering thought, for without the advantages that the greatest heroes of the age offered, we were dead. And since we were the only ones looking for them, we were now the weak link; if we broke, so would the chain.

"But first," Phoebe said, "We need to find the trail."

Mathilda took a small device from her pocket, then, kneeling, scraped up part of the boot print left in the dried mud. She then picked it up and put it into her device, then pressed something. Slowly, the footprints left behind in the mud began to glow.

"What did that do?" I asked. "Glowing footprints aren't going to help us here."

She sent me a withering glance. "Wherever else she stepped, it will glow, showing us where the trail is."

I nodded, feeling quite stupid. Then I tuned and began looking for the light. I spotted it, all right – coming straight out of the sewer.

"What?" asked Acacia, seeing the look on my face.

Mutely, I pointed ahead. All three of the hunters recoiled in disgust, but Mathilda recovered instantly and strode forward, lowering herself into the sewer. She disappeared below the grate, and, for a moment, all was silent. The three of us remaining looked at each other, wondering.

"You guys coming?"

For the next several hours, we followed the tracks through the sewer systems of Manhattan, despite our quarry's numerous attempts to lose us.

I was lost in thought. Who – or what – was this person that we were following? They had shown remarkable ingenuity in their attempt to evade us. Not only that, but they had the power and the resources to completely subdue both Soaron and Cassandra – both incredibly powerful demititans – and then to lay traps and false paths through the sewers of Manhattan. All the evidence was pooling together in my mind – a woman, a goddess or a Titaness, fire and ice, magical traps – to form an inescapable conclusion.

"Hekate," I said aloud. All three hunters turned to look at me. "She's the only one with the power to do something like this. The Titans must somehow be getting through the boundaries to kidnap the greatest heroes."

Phoebe pulled up short. "But why kidnap them?" she asked, staring down a side tunnel. "Percy, Thalia, Nico – them I understand. But why the others? They could not hope to gain anything from them. Zoë might be the greatest Hunter in the history of the earth, but that doesn't mean she'll willingly do that for the Titans!"

"Of course not," said Mathilda. "But none of the three would cooperate either. Wouldn't Percy be willing to help if they threatened to kill Annabeth? And Thalia – if they can get her to fall for Luke, or someone, then her oath will be broken and she will be another piece in play. The others are just methods of… encouraging them."

I nodded. My father was Ares, so I was very familiar with this kind of thing. But there will still a couple of points that didn't make sense. "So why kidnap Soaron, or Cassandra? No one is really close to them. And if they can kidnap us at will, why not kill all of the ones you don't need?"

"No," agreed Acacia. "But Soaron's mother is Hekate, the one who is doing the kidnapping. Would you go against your father if you have no particular loyalty to the Titans?"

"True," I acknowledged, frowning. Something wasn't adding up. "But why not just slip poison into all of the food if you can get into it?"

"Very true," said Mathilda. "And one last thing. Why in the name of Chaos is the trail leading into Mount Olympus?"

For the tunnel that we were following led straight up into the Empire State building. And the tracks led into the elevator.

"More complications," Acacia grumbled.


	3. Arrival

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO. I never have, and I never will.**

**Author's Note: I'm sorry for the wait, but I finally finished the chapter. Again, this chapter is continuing Clarisse's flashback, from the point at which we left off. Enjoy!**

**Thanks to MyPenIsSharperThanYourSword, naoman16, Phoenix Espeon, and vampirebunny444444444447 for their reviews. I would also like to give a special thanks to Phoenix Espeon, who drew a fan art picture of Soaron. If you wish to see it, go to ****.com/art/Soaron-Son-of-Hecate-113317959****. Thanks again!**

I closed my eyes, leaning against the wall of the sewer as I did. A deep-settled, furious, rage settled over me, the greatest anger I have felt since Chris's insanity. After the war starting, the scouting quest for Chiron, and this new quest, I had been manhandled, shot at, lied to, and manipulated. And now, just when I thought I was free of it at last, the quarry turned out to be just another pawn. She was just another part of another deception.

Looking back on it, I realize that much of my anger came from being in close proximity with my father yet again. But at the time, I had no such notion.

"That is _it_," I growled. I charged the door, hitting it with all the devastating force behind my armor-covered shoulder, and nearly burst it off its hinges.

We had been tracking the Titaness for most of the day, and it was evening now. Most of the mortals were gone, and the only guard on the inside was an old security guard at a desk reading a Harry Potter book.

I charged him, ignoring Acacia's pleas for me to stop, ignoring the fact that Phoebe was right behind me, ignoring everything but my prey. He looked up, startled, a moment before I leapt onto his desk and smashed him in the face with the handle of my spear. He fell over backward, scrabbling in his holster for his gun, but Phoebe wrenched him to his feet and pinned his arms behind him while I lay my spear point at his throat.

"Now, listen," I said, adrenaline coursing through my veins. "You have two choices; you can give us the pass to the top floor, and live, or you can get spitted here and now." It may not have been the most eloquent of speeches, but it got the point across.

He fumbled at the pouch at his waist for a few seconds before producing a red security card. Mathilda picked it up, scrutinized it, then looked up at me and nodded to confirm its authority.

I gave the terrified guard my sweetest smile. "Thanks," I said. Then I balled my fist and punched straight into his temple. His eyes rolled back, and he would've crumpled to the floor had Phoebe not been holding him up.

"Let's go," Acacia said, running to the elevator. "We might as well get this over with."

The doors opened with a pleasant ding, and we stepped into the elevator. I stuck the card in, then pressed the button that appeared. The doors clanged shut, and we began to rise. When the doors finally opened again, they opened on a new world.

Olympus, once the most beautiful heavenly paradise on Earth, was completely transformed into a machine of war. Celestial bronze and stone walls shut tight around the whole peak of the mountain, keeping out the unwanted. Giant bastilles, catapults, and crossbows gleamed at regular intervals along the walls.

Instead of lesser gods selling glitter-weave Golden Fleeces and Hephaestus-TVs, there was hard-faced gods, nymphs, and satyrs handing out weapons and shields to all that needed them. The forest had been cut back to get enough lumber for a set of celestial bronze-tipped wooden spikes. I saw Greek fire being prepared in pots for the enemy.

At the middle of all of the fortifications was the old Mount Olympus – a cluster of glittering silver and white palaces, with the great palace of the Olympians dominating everything in its high perch at the peak. But there were immense storm clouds whirling around the highest spire, with flares of lighting being born around it. Yet another wall was circling the palace, this one completely made of celestial bronze.

We able to get past the walls using our security pass, and yet another amazing sight awaited us there.

Hidden behind the great walls was a great army, composed of gods, godlings, and thousands upon thousands of automatons. They were in all shapes and sizes, with only two common traits: the bronze skin and the Ancient Greek Eta carved on their sides. Farther on were skeletons, shades, and monsters – all most likely given by Hades, who had recently been returned to Olympus on account of the imminent end to the Fifth Age.

"That's scary," said Mathilda, looking around at the might of the assembled forces.

I nodded. "No one should have this much power," I agreed, looking around at the army. "Thank the gods that there _are _gods, and not just one."

Phoebe snorted. "I doubt that's what Mathilda means," she said. "Everyone is worried that the Titans are stronger yet – and we can only imagine what could be more powerful than this."

I winced. "That's why we're here," I said. "To make sure that we have the greater force. With the great heroes, we can't take the Titans on." I didn't state aloud the thought that was running though my head: even with the heroes, we were still in deep trouble.

I had never told anyone what I had seen when I had been summoned up to the Oracle. Without the images it had shown me, I would never have dared go to the Sea of Monsters. But it had shown me what would happen if the prophecy went in favor of the Titans. She had shown me the face of Kronos himself. Later, the Labyrinth had brought an apparition of what I had seen there, and it still haunted me in my dreams.

I show a tough picture to everyone that I meet, but the truth is that I am simply trying to live up to the things expected of me. My mother had died when I was young, and Ares took me to Half-Blood Hill. That was when I was finally told who I was. Ever since then, I had acted instinctively, based on my father's blood flowing through my veins, and it bought me a reputation I had to live up to.

Only in recent years had I started to realize that, outside cabin five, Ares was regarded as a bully. And, therefore, by acting like my father, the only reputation I held outside of cabin 5 was that of my father; unloved, disliked, and feared. Ever that moment, I had slowly been trying to unravel my status as a bully and to make it into that of a heroine, a friend.

We continued through Olympus, pausing only to scan the card whenever we had to pass through a gate.

Twenty minutes later, we were at the main entrance to the palace. From what we had heard outside, the gods were in a meeting. All the better; we would reveal the events of the past few days to all of the Olympians at once, and be hailed as heroes.

This was a quite naïve, of course, and I realized that as soon as I thought it, but it brought a smile to my face all the same.

I reached forward I pulled on the immense handle. The doors refused to budge. They were locked.

"Hmm," I said, glaring at the doors.

"What now?" asked Acacia. "We can hardly follow the trail into the middle of the hall of the gods…" She trailed off as she saw me pull a small silver ball out of my pack. "Clarisse –"

I tossed the wrecking ball at the doors. It exploded, sending all four of us reeling backwards in shock. The doors themselves careened back an inch or two, which was pretty good for a piece of magical architecture. Even the Labyrinth shifted almost a foot when I tried it.

Scowling, I stalked up to the doors and stabbed my spear through the intricate design in the center. Using my spear as I lever, I heaved open the mighty doors to the palace. With that, I walked through the open doors to the hall.

I glanced back. All three huntresses were staring at me in open-mouthed shock. "You guys coming? I asked. They nodded and started in behind me.

Inside, the gods were staring in apparent shock at the doors and at us. But to my immense surprise, the woman in black, the Titaness, Hekate herself, was the one standing in front of them. She had not yet turned around to see what all of the ruckus was.

Thunderous fury that I had never before seen the like of gathered on Zeus's face. His master bolt ignited in his hand, a full twenty feet of pure, crackling, earth-shaking energy. He drew back and hurled it with all of his might at us.

I dove aside, rolling, raising my shield above my head to shield myself from the debris from the explosion. But no thunderous, earth-shaking impact came. I dared to glance out from under my shield.

Hekate had caught the bolt with one hand, with no apparent ill effects. She turned slightly and caught a glance of us out of the corner of her eye. And, for the first time, I was able to truly see Hekate.

She was a full six feet tall in her human form, with long, sleek, black hair that flowed down her back like a cape. She was wearing a long black dress, with intricate gold-and-silver designs decorating it. Her skin was like caramel, and her eyes were black. Her face held amused good humor, but she had an edge of power about her. She was somehow the most terrifying thing that I had ever seen – aside from Kronos, the Oracle, and the Labyrinth, of course.

"Now, now, Lord Zeus," said the Titaness lazily. "I'm sure you didn't meanto do that _quite_ yet… Remember, with democracy and the Constitution and all, we need to have a trial first." Slowly, Hekate turned her head and looked at us. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the master bolt back to his hands. He caught in instantly, glowering.

I lowered my shield uncertainly. It appeared that several gods were itching to fry us, but, somehow, in a way I didn't understand, Hekate had taken us under her protection… for now. But what the heck was a Titaness doing here and why hadn't the gods attacked as soon as she arrived?

"Well?" demanded Hera, eyes shooting sparks. What reason did you have to blast open the doors of the gods while they were in a secure, private conference?"

I swallowed and opened my mouth to speak, but Mathilda beat me. She stepped forward, eyes on Hera. "We apologize most profusely, Queen Hera, for our untimely interruption. Over this past day, we have been tracking the heroes that have gone missing from Camp." I wasn't sure if the others noticed, but the gods had visible started to calm down once Mathilda had began to speak. "We tracked them all through Manhattan and into this very building. Our quarry turned out to be none other than the Titaness you see in front of you now. We had no notion that she was not an enemy, and assumed that we were under attack. Upon finding the doors immovable, with her trail leading inside, we assumed that the Council was under attack, and therefore acted appropriately. We apologize if this has caused you an inconvenience."

I gaped at her as she swept a bow and stepped back among us, her face an expressionless mask. She ignored me.

Of course, this sent yet more questions racing through my mind. Why did the gods seem to know her so well? How had she learned to speak like that? Why did the gods seem to relax once they knew she was involved? And above all else, just who was Mathilda?

Quite unexpectedly, Hekate suddenly burst out into laughter. "Oh, how _perfect_," she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. She looked at Athena, still bubbling with mirth. "Apparently the Fates have seen fit to provide us that which we were lacking. At least, if all of you approve?" She glanced around at the Olympians.

My stomach clenched. I had no idea what they were talking about, but it didn't sound good.

"I vote no," growled Ares, smacking his fist against his palm. "These …_heroes_ should be killed, not rewarded! Since when do the Olympians need nosy heroes to do their work?"

Hekate looked at him skeptically. "You call this rewarding? I can guarantee that your daughter, at least, will hate it."

I hardly heard Hekate's words. Everything seemed to be swaying slightly. My father wanted me dead? Everything I held most dear – my beliefs, my father, my siblings – suddenly turned to ash. My father, my role model, my hero, wanted me dead. I had heard about Olympians not caring about their children, but I never had applied that to myself.

And, just like that, a barrier was broken. The anger and confusion and rage that always gripped me when my father had been around suddenly left. Now that I completely stopped believing that my father was, in some way, good, he had no influence over me. Anger was no longer a tool to be used, but an unnecessary emotion. All my life, it had been with me, ever-present, but it now was gone. I suddenly saw the world differently – as Percy, as Annabeth, the heroes that _everyone _adored, might see it. This one moment changed my life.

Ares and Hekate were now arguing all-out, but Zeus stopped them with a raised hand.

"A vote," said the Lord of the Skies. "All in favor of including them?"

Every Olympian except Hera and Ares raised their hands. Hekate glanced around, then nodded decisively.

"It is decided," she said. Then she beckoned to Athena and, taking me by the arm, she pulled me into a side room. The Hunters entered behind me, and then Athena, who closed and locked the door after me.

"Right," said Hekate, releasing me and turning to face all of us. "It's time you know what's going on."

And that is where I will leave you for now. And, by the way, no updates till I get 5 reviews for this chapter; you lot have been slacking off lately. Put any flames down, too – constructive criticism welcome! Thanks!

~Sa Rart~


	4. Relevation

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO.**

**Author's Note: I'm very, very sorry for the long wait – the trimester was ending, which means homework and tests galore. I'll try not to make you wait so long again.**

**Thanks to Phoenix Espeon, MyPenIsSharperThanYourSword, naoman16, and Nk8*0% for their reviews.**

**This chapter is from Clarisse's POV. **

**Year 73 of the Titans**

**Friday, April 13****th**

**Present Day**

Hekate's fortress was located in the northern end of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. I didn't like Arizona much; it brought back too many memories – memories of Chris, who had died in the first attack, memories of the Labyrinth, and memories from before then.

I walked towards the endless rift in the ground, the mark that looked like it had been cut by the hand of a god. At the very bottom, a winding river traced along a bend in the canyon far below. It reflected the hot sun of the desert.

It was here that I was to find my first ally in the strange land that America had become under the rule of the Titans. The first contact among the long and winding path I had put my feet on the moment I had burst into the Olympian's throne room, so long ago. I have never regretted my choice.

The problem was this: The world, to all appearances, was a better place. The Titans had stopped deep-sea trawling, woodcutting in the rainforest, and the output of harmful gases to the environment. Global warming had stopped completely. Guns, bombs, and other similar weapons were gone, to be replaced by swords, axes, and bows. The world was united under a powerful government, that, although brutal, did a lot better than other places had in the past. Sure, the results of these things had ruined billions, but now, after the first couple decades, humankind, although decreased in numbers to less than three billion, was doing better as a whole than it had under the gods.

So why was I risking my life, here and now, to change things to what could be the worse? There was only one religion; Greek mythology. All uprisings against it had been brutally crushed. The Titans may rule by fear, but it was better than anything else the world had come up with since ancient days. There were downsides – greater numbers of unexplained deaths, higher taxes, destruction of roads and homes to build temples – but was it worth it?

I shook my head free of these thoughts. They were depending on me to get them out of their prison. They needed me. I could not be the weak link, the one who ruined the entire plan. I remembered the brutality of the fighting, the way that they had destroyed the Olympians and imprisoned those who remained. I remembered Zeus, cut into a thousand pieces by the scythe of Kronos. I remembered Chris, squashed underfoot like a bug by a twenty-foot Cyclops. The memories pushed the doubts from my mind – for now. But all I needed to do was get to the fortress. Then it would be out of my hands.

But still, I could not push these doubts from my mind. An image popped into my head, an image of my father. I remembered the brutality he had shown, to me and to everyone else. I recalled the debate Percy had talked about, when the gods were decided whether or not to kill him and Thalia. I recalled the Big Three's forbidden children, and the lives that they had to live in order to be tolerated, if not accepted, in Camp and Mount Olympus.

_Just get to the darn fortress._

"Excuse me, miss?"

I spun around, hand flying to my revolver. It was a girl, maybe sixteen, seventeen years old. She seemed a little young for the Park Rangers uniform that she was wearing, but I knew this area; that was the uniform. She carried only a cell phone at her waist, and maybe a small knife; it was hard to tell. Mentally, I cursed myself for getting out of practice; fighting might not be the only skill I would need.

She was dark-skinned, with curly dark hair that tumbled unceremoniously down to her shoulders. A smile was fixed on her face, but her eyes were hard and suspicious.

"This area is off-limits to the general public," she told me severely. "Unless you are working with the Park Rangers, you should head back.

I smiled as blatantly and superficially as I could. "I'm not working with the Rangers, but I was invited here by Hekate. Would you care to show me where her fortress is?"

Her smile grew in size and chilliness. "I'm sorry – who?"

See, the Titans did not go by their names, but by their power or position. Since true names held such power, they forbid the general public to use them. Kronos was only known as the Titan Lord, Atlas as the General, so on and so forth. Also, their individual whereabouts was unknown – only the country of dwelling was released. So far, there were three Titans in the U.S., one in France, Australia, China, Peru, and Russia, two in India, and eight in their ruling palace, the Coliseum in Rome. No one knew which Titan ruled which place – all the people knew was that there was a Titan in their country, ruling over them. Generally, that was enough to discourage any rebellions.

"Hekate," I replied. "She sent for me a while back – I'm Clarisse, from Geryon's former ranch."

Her eyebrows rose slightly. "She told us that you were coming a little over seven decades ago."

"So you're an _emposai_, then," I said, casually letting a hand drift to my pistol. "Look, I'm a busy person, and I would prefer not to be kept waiting."

For a moment, her eyes flared red, but then the moment passed, and she laughed. "A demi_god_, is it?" she asked, amusement evident. "We haven't had one of those in… roughly sixty-five years," she mused, pondering over that for a little while. "That was in the last rebellion, led by… Charles Beckonderf and Silena Beaugard, I believe. Hekate dealt with them personally. I'm Tammi, by the way – and you said your name is Clarisse?"

"Right," I said, smiling. The danger was past, apparently.

Tammi nodded. "The mistress told us that she wanted to see you personally when she arrived," she said. Then she frowned. "Interesting that you should pick today, of all days," she said.

I swallowed nervously. "What day is it?" I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral. After seventy years, I often lost track of the date. I fervently hoped nothing important was going on today – once a month, a Sabbath, if you could call it that, was issued, and no visitors could visit – the day was dedicated to worshipping the Titans.

Tammi considered the question before answering. "The trial of Kelli."

* * *

We walked through the Grand Canyon, taking such twisted and complicated turns that I could not remember the way back out. Finally, Tammi headed for a large side canyon that came to a dead end. I frowned.

"Tammi, there's –"

She turned to the right and went down an immense tunnel that I had not noticed. It led steeply downwards, and I could see no light at the end. It was just a long, dark tunnel.

A few minutes later, I could no longer see the light from the surface world, either. The only thing illuminating the crevice was Tammi's hair, which she had let slip back into its natural form of flames.

"How long is this passage?" I asked, more to take my mind off the darkness than to actually know the answer. The tunnel reminded me far too much of the Labyrinth for comfort. Even now, after so many years, I was scared stiff of it.

"A little less than a mile long," answered Tammi, turning right at a fork. "And it's not all underground, either; there's an entrance in the canyon wall, one at the top, and three more under here. This fortress threads around the wall of the canyon, so it's not like we don't have enough space."

Finally, we turned again and stopped at a large obsidian door. The entire thing was carved with intricate swirls of faintly glowing golden paint. At the canter was a set of red eyes, glowing menacingly.

Tammi stepped forward and drew a claw down the door. There was a whirring noise, then a clicking noise. The door didn't move.

The _emposai _looked over at me with a sly grin. "If anyone other than one of Hekate's servants did that to the door, the Tartarian spawn bound within the door would materialize, and then devour whoever dared to invade. Also, on the other side of this door is a small army of the spawns, ready to pounce on whoever opens the door."

"Then how do we get past them?" I asked nervously, drawing the spear off my back.

Tammi smiled. "We don't," she said, and _pushed _in the center of the door. It slid backwards about ten feet, revealing the stairs leading down into the fortress of Hekate. We descended, Tammi pausing every now and again to nod to an unseen guard.

After several more miles of walking, Tammi ushered me forward towards an enormous golden door with a Greek word inscribed on it. Translated, it meant, "courtroom". From the other side, I could hear voices, murmuring softly. Apparently, the trial had not yet begun.

"Go on," whispered Tammi. "She said that if you were to arrive today, you could witness the trial. It's a great honor!"

"I'm sure," I replied. "So how does this door open?"

Tammi simply let claws creep out and poked a claw into the center of the design, and the door swung open. As I strode in, she announced, "The rancher, Clarisse, daughter of Ares!" All eyes turned to me as I walked forwards, trying to stop my cheeks from burning.

It was mostly _emposai _sitting as the jury, but the judges' seat was occupied by a woman fully six feet tall, with caramel skin and dark hair the same color as her dress. The only thing in the room darker than her dress was her eyes, which held more power than I had ever before seen in that of a humanlike form.

Seeing her, I remembered back to the first time I had seen this Titaness, so long ago…

**Year 2010 A.D.**

**Monday, June 21****st**

"I'd say," I said, eyes blazing. "You've been taking the heroes from Half-Blood, reducing out chances for victory over _your _kind!" I was suddenly angry again, and my spear, almost of its own accord, shot up and laid itself on her throat.

"Calm down, Clarisse," said Mathilda quietly. "Let them explain. The mere fact that she is still here is indicative that the gods, to some degree, trust her."

"Thank you… remind me what your name is now?" asked Hekate, frowning slightly.

"Mathilda," she said steadily. "Clarisse, stop."

I reluctantly let my spear drop. "But for all we know, the heroes could all be dead," I pointed out.

"No," said Athena. "Let's sit down and let me explain."

We glanced around – that is, Acacia, Phoebe, and I did – and then sat.

"I'm simply going to take the blunt approach," said Athena. "Even with the heroes, we have little chance of winning this war. Over the centuries, we have let our skills and armies grow slack, and the Titans have been preparing. They have the element of surprise on their side. They have greater strength than us. They have many minor gods on their side."

"So you take away our heroes. That's sure to make us win," I said tightly, doing my best to rein my emotions in.

"No," said Athena. "You remember the Lotus Casino in Las Vegas?" I nodded. "We shall place all of the heroes into it, for we have found that its power is completely undetectable in any way. Since Hekate is in charge of destroying Camp Half-Blood, she will blast the place to a smoking crater – letting everyone she can escape, of course – and then claim that she has destroyed the heroes. The Titans will become complacent, and not prepare for an attack. Then, using a messenger that will be placed in Eurytion's ranch – he has agreed to this, by the way – they will go into the Lotus Casino and bring the heroes out of there, and then attack the Titans. Many years later, of course – fifty years would be about right. With any luck, you will defeat them, and then find the scattered remains of the gods to unite us and bring us back."

"Us and who's army?" I asked. "We're just a couple of measly heroes against the might of the Titans."

This time it was Hekate that answered. "My army, which will have been building up for all of the years the heroes will have been in there. We shall also place the Hunt inside the Casino. Also, you will find plenty of mortals sympathetic to your cause – they will unite behind such legendary figures from the past. There should also be scattered pockets of resistance – satyrs, Cyclopes, dryads, nymphs, Briares, and creatures like them. You will be able to unite them to form a great army."

"Wow," I said weakly. "So when do we go?"

Hekate laughed. "Right now."

"Wait," said Mathilda. "Which heroes are being put into the Casino?"

Athena answered this time. "Percy, Annabeth, Soaron, Cassandra, Thalia, Zoë, and Nico will all go."

"What about Zoë's sword, the one in the deeps?" Acacia asked.

Hekate shrugged. "If you want to try and get it, that's fine – but I wouldn't recommend it."

I hadn't heard about any of this. "What sword?" I asked. "And why shouldn't we get it?"

Hekate sighed, eyes frustrated. "She hid it in Atlantis. The kraken has it."

Mathilda gasped. Her eyes were terrified. That was the only word to describe it. Utter and stark terror.

"So?" I asked. "Why does that matter?" The only thing I knew about Atlantis was from a Disney movie on it that I had watched when I was two.

"Atlantis, even after its sinking, was a place of power," said Athena. "It would attract monsters due to the high amount of celestial silver – the most powerful metal in this world or any other. They used it for jewelry." Disdain was evident in her voice.

"Percy had a tiny amount of celestial silver with him," recalled Hekate. "But that's not the worst of it. Some say that…" Hekate lowered her voice. "…spirits of Atlantis still dwell there. They used to send heroes to them to test to see if they were strong enough to complete their task."

"And?" asked Phoebe.

Athena swallowed. "They had the same power that makes up the Oracle – but they don't just use it for telling prophecies."

Hekate shook her head, as if dismissing such thoughts from her head. "You should go now," she said, and lifted a hand. Energies began to play around it, lancing into a sphere around the Hunters to transport them to the Lotus.

"Wait!" I called, looking at Mathilda. "What was your name? Who are you?"

Silence was my only answer as the whirling disk of energy faded away, taking the Hunters with it.

**Year 73 of the Titans**

**Friday, April 13****th**

**Present Day**

Though I still thought about the day often, I have not yet seen Mathilda again. But the past was the past, and it was the present I was in. I forcibly shoved all thoughts of the past into the past.

The courtroom was simply immense. Have you ever been to Davies' Symphony Hall, or maybe the Sydney Opera House? It was like that. Immensely tall, so wide you couldn't see both ends simultaneously, and with balconies towering above you. The entire place was made of obsidian, with golden designs painted into it. Apparently, that was Hekate's favorite theme.

Hekate's immense throne dominated the room, set on a cuplike structure protruding from the wall. She was at least a hundred feet in the air, and in the very center of the wall. The nearest balcony structure was fifty feet to her right, and at least twenty feet underneath. She was in her human form, but that somehow added to the sense of power radiating from her form.

Set on the opposite wall, where a screen or a stage would be in a normal theater, was a map of Arizona, with moving water, people, clouds, and wind currents. Certain points glowed with power; others were completely empty. Below it was a single podium, less than two feet tall. It had enough room on top for something the size of a small car, perhaps, but nothing more. A shimmering pattern of black-and-gold light played around it. There was a large hole in the middle, leading into the ground.

"Well, well," said the Titan-goddess, standing up on her dais. "Clarisse's here, after all these years. You were supposed to be here over two decades ago." In spite of the words, she was smiling.

"I was… delayed." I said carefully, not wishing to reveal anything.

She laughed, sensing the reason behind my stiff words. "It's fine, Clarisse. Every person in this room has been handpicked, and they are all loyal to our cause. You may speak freely."

Hekate snapped her fingers, and, suddenly, I was sitting on a throne right next to hers on the dais. I blinked in surprise, but I quickly acclimated to my new view of the room.

"Welcome," she said to me quietly, too quietly for anyone else to hear. "I trust that you remember your mission perfectly?" I nodded, and she continued. "I have a new task for you and the others – but it can wait till after the trial."

Hekate turned to the room and spoke loudly and clearly for all to hear. "Council, we are gathered here today to witness the trial of Kelli, once a senior _emposai_, but one, in open defiance of my orders, committed an unforgivable act of rebellion: she attacked a quest from Camp Half-Blood, on the orders of Luke Castellan, and attempted to murder Perseus Jackson on his first day of school – an act that, if successful, would undoubtedly ended in a Titan victory for all time. Today, we allow her to present her defense, and, of unsuccessful, to decide on her punishment."

The ruler of all of the Midwest looked down and smiled upon her council. "Let the trial begin."


	5. Reunion

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO. I never have, and I never will. This will be my last disclaimer, too; hopefully, all of you have gotten the picture by now.**

**A/N: This chapter picks up at the trial of Kelli, exactly where we left off. Thanks to, SapphireLake888(), Nicco1395, naoman16,** **ZoeNightshade2214 Swimstar, and MyPenIsSharperThanYourSword for their reviews.**

**________________________________________________________________________**

**Year 73 of the Titans**

**Friday, April 13****th**

**Present Day**

As Hekate spoke, the pattern of light playing about the podium suddenly solidified, becoming a cage of steel and flame. And, from the dark depths of the hole came a girl with brown hair and a red dress, with her hands bound behind her dress. Despite her guise as a girl, I could see the aura radiated out of her, and it was almost as powerful as that of Hekate. She glanced up, and I saw her eyes were red.

"Kelli," said Hekate lightly. Beneath the immense dome of the courtroom, her voice was not swallowed; instead, it swelled, probably due to some enchantment. I was unimpressed. "How nice to see you again."

The _emposai _glowered at the Titaness. "I wish I could say the same," replied Kelli. She calmly thrust her hands into the flame of the cage, burning the rope off of her. When she withdrew her hands, I saw they were completely unscathed. Hekate sighed wryly. "It was worth a try," I heard her mutter. She looked back at the _emposai _and continued.

"You are on trial for your rebellion in the year 2010 A.D., in which you left from my private guard and attacked the demigods Perseus Jackson and Annabeth Chase, as well as the inventor, Daedelus, and the mortal, Rachel Elizabeth Dare. What say you in your defense?"

Kelli glared up as the Titaness. "I had left your guard," she rasped, flames flaring behind her eyes, "To destroy the half-bloods, not by our orders, but by those of the Titan Lord himself." Her voice lost its coarseness and she stood, ignoring the flames that danced around her body as she did so. Although her clothes were singed, she remained unscathed. "I would have made both you and your armies great, but instead, I was slain and cast into Tartarus. When I returned, more than seventy years later, I was caught and imprisoned by _your _soldiers, and I am now on trial for _treason?_"

The _emposai_'s voice rose in volume, and more than a few murmurs of sympathy rose from the crowd. Kelli glanced around, and a slight smile grew at the corner of her mouth. I gripped the seat of my throne/chair in frustration. Why didn't Hekate _do _something? At this rate, Kelli would overthrow the Titaness, establish herself in her place, and then take control of the world in the next month. The trick was to accuse, try, and finish the case before the convict got any sympathy from the judge and the jury.

Before I even realized what I was doing, I found myself standing, and then it was my voice swelling beneath the dome. The pent-up frustration and rage within me were simply too gargantuan, too much to hold in for another second.

"You may have been attempting to make the name of Hekate great, demon, but I doubt it. Hekate is a Titaness, and has been one for thousands of millennia. She knew what she was doing; she realized the consequences. Perhaps your scheme would have worked, but if it had, you would be on trial, not for treason, but for a crime far worse. You would have robbed two young heroes of their lives, before they were able to learn ands to grow, before they could even realize what life truly is!" A murmur of agreement went up, louder than that of Kelli's followers. I acknowledged their support with a slight incline of my head and finished:

"Your actions were misguided and wrong. I leave it to Hekate to decide on your sentence." I sat down.

The crowd began to cheer, but Kelli's voice cut through the din like a knife. "And just what are you going to sentence me to? Guard duty? You cannot trust me, and you know it. You cannot destroy me, because I will come back, and this time luck might not be on your side. I can make it to the Titans, and bring word of your treachery to them. Do you have the might to withstand an assault of the Fifteen upon the fortress? I think not. What else will you do? Imprison me?" The _emposai _smiled, but there was nothing friendly about it. "You made us; you know what I am capable of. There is no cage that I cannot escape from; no place from which I cannot get word to the Titans. Make your decision, then. Go on – what are you waiting for?" Kelli crossed her arms across her chest and waited, an unpleasant smirk on her face. Uneasy murmurs spread like ripples in a stream throughout the crowd. I frowned, trying to work through that particular kink. No solutions came to mind, which, I have to admit, kinda scared me. I'm a daughter of Ares – who could possibly know better how to torture, how to gain information, how to keep information? The only problem was that I couldn't just kill her – the typical way of keeping someone quiet. I glanced over at Hekate, hoping for some brilliant idea.

To my surprise, she was not even looking at Kelli. She was staring at the door, frowning slightly, as if she was a child, perplexed by a difficult math problem. Then she seemed to mentally shake it off and turned back to the court, nodding as Kelli's speech registered.

"True," Hekate said, nodding. A slight smile slowly began to crease her face. "As you said, no prison can hold an _emposai_. For someone, anyone else, that would be a problem but for this."

Hekate thrust forward a hand, and scarlet light began to gather, threads pulled from the air around her to condense into a ball in her palm. She looked at it, and she smiled. Kelli shifted, suddenly uneasy.

"What," asked Hekate softly, "makes you think you will remain an _emposai_? I could fix your form into that of a girl, or a snake, perhaps. That would fit your character well enough. I could make you into a weapon, perhaps, so that you could be useful. Any preference?" she asked, glancing at me. I grinned.

"Well, I happen to be in need of another spear," I said casually. "You got any extras?"

Hekate stood, scarlet fire gathering into a pall of energy. She raised her hand and pointed it at the cowering _emposai_, and, with a burst of light, Kelli was enveloped completely, turned into an insubstantial mist. The Titaness gestured, and it flowed back into her hand, slowly shifting shape into a long spear as it did. With a slight flourish, she handed it to me.

The spear was five feet long, with a blade that extended another six inches out into a razor point. The base was made of reddish colored crystalline metal, with runes and intricate patterns in shades of orange and red. The blade was a perfectly shaped diamond material, and it glowed red. Its light illuminated the room.

"Now that that's over, we must turn to a more pressing matter," said Hekate. "Clarisse must go on an urgent quest, full of peril, to reawaken the heroes of past ages and places. Who among you is willing to travel with her, as a guide and fellow fighter?"

She looked around expectantly at the courtroom, but no hands went up.

"I will!" shouted a voice, and Tammi strode forward. She leveled a smile at me. "Clarisse needs all the help she can get." I sighed in annoyance, rolling my eyes. If she kept acting like this, it would be a long trip. However, in my heart, I was glad for the company after so long.

"And?" prompted Hekate. "We need a third member for this quest." Nobody would meet her gaze.

Then the immense doors to the courtroom began to groan open, and a figure limped through. She was covered in burns and bruises and blood, with torn clothing, and thinner than ever, but her eyes shone with the same strength and determination she had always had.

"I will." The voice was hoarse, scratchy, and harsh, but, stunned, I recognized it.

The person was unmistakably Bianca di Angelo.


	6. Recovery

**Author's Note: Thanks to MyPenIsSharperThanYourSword, Nicco1395, naoman16, RealWorld4 (), ILoveFanfiction59 (), and Swimstar for their reviews. It really made a world of difference. But remember, constructive criticism will be welcomed more than praise**

**.This chapter, again, picks up right where we left off – I'm probably just going to continue doing that, so unless I say otherwise, assume that it is so. This chapter, however, does have a little bit of a change: it is from Bianca's POV. Enjoy!**

**I know you are all aware of the fact that the Last Olympian has come out, and, yes, I am going to continue this fanfiction as an AU. I'm actually almost flattered – Ares's blessing was very similar to Gaia's in Child of the Titans. Just in case any of you were wondering. Thanks!**

**Year 73 of the Titans**

**Friday, April 13****th**

**Present Day**

Despite the pain raging through me, I almost smiled at their faces. They were so shocked, so ignorant. The _emposai _behind Clarisse merely smiled, however. Interesting. Did we have a traitor?

This was how I was used to thinking after the past… weeks? Months? Years? I had no idea how long it had been, but I knew, with a gut-wrenching certainty that it was a long time. The ashes from out campfire had long since been tossed away by the wind, and even the junkyard was gone. The body of the Talos statue was all that was left, and even that was rusty and rotting.

When Talos had fallen across the power lines, I had also been blasted by the force of the electricity, but I had survived – but in the chaos, I had fallen out of the small booth set aside for controlling it. I had tumbled from its head all the way down to the bottom of its neck – a distance of roughly twenty feet. At that point, I had managed to get a knife into the bronze and catch myself, only to be tossed back into the head as the neck and head fell off.

At that point, everything had gone black, and I was suddenly in the Underworld. I was sure that I was dead – Nico had even summoned me up several times, and I had told him so. I still wasn't sure what had happened until Zoë found me. She had another Huntress with her, a girl named Odessa. They had told me that I wasn't dead; I was, in fact, a daughter of Hades, and therefore had the power to leave my body while my shade traveled.

With their help, I returned to my body, only to find myself trapped underneath Talos's head. By some fluke, it had landed with its neck down, trapping me inside the head. Unable to push the head open, I just began to saw at it with my knives, hoping to cut a way out.

It had been slow going – without food or water, I would've died, but being a Huntress allows me to live until I am killed in battle. I could not die from lack of air nor starvation, but my wounds would not heal, plaguing me with constant pain. And despite my inability to die, I blacked out many times from lack of air. Finally, I managed to make a hole large enough to squeeze out.

By pure luck, I had gone west, and a girl found me there. There was something strange about her, but I couldn't place it. We had come to the palace, and I had listened in on the trial and the quest.

And now I was limping forward, wincing every time my bad leg hit the ground. "I will," I managed to get out. Then everything started to go black, but not before I saw two faces; Clarisse's and the Titaness's. I wasn't sure what I felt about going on a quest with Clarisse – she had always been somewhat of a bully – but I knew that I had to do my part in the tapestry of the Fates. Then I blacked out.

***

When I woke up later, I felt much better. My wounds, which included burns, bruises, and a huge gash along my shoulder, were bandaged. I was in a hospital bed, reminding me of the time Nico and I were in a car accident. It was the same white sheets, the same up/down button that raised and lowered the back rest, and the same desire to get out. Around it were three chairs and a table.

Clarisse, the Titaness, and the girl were all sitting in the chairs, talking in low voices. I painfully sat up, and their attention instantly shifted. Clarisse and the girl hurried over to my bedside, while the Titaness walked outside.

"Are you all right?" asked the girl.

"Water," I said, rubbing my dry throat. Clarisse grabbed a bottle sitting on the table and handed it to me. I opened it and chugged the entire bottle. I still didn't feel much better.

Then a hand rested on my throat, and coolness flowed from it to the rest of my body. I allowed myself to relax back into the bed.

"Where am I?" I asked. "How long had it been?"

"You're in the fortress of Hekate, Titan-goddess of magic and witchcraft," answered Clarisse. I might've been wrong, but her voice seemed to be softer and kinder than it had been at Camp. "You've been sleeping for three days."

"What?!!!" I sat bolt upright, wincing as my burns stung.

"Quite frankly, I think it's amazing that you're still alive," said the girl. "Most Huntresses would have died under such conditions, for so long."

"Who're you?" I asked.

"My name is Tammi," she answered. "I'm an _emposai_." The name meant nothing to me.

"An _emposai _is a type of monster with flaming hair, claws, fangs, and weird legs," Clarisse explained. "Don't worry – Hekate is on our side, and all of the _emposai_ are fiercely loyal to her."

"Why is a Titan free in the world?" I asked. Nothing was making sense! How was I supposed to understand anything?

Clarisse fiddled with her revolver anxiously. "Well… you know the Titan-Olympian war?" When I nodded, she continued. "It's over now. The Titans have won."

I sank back against the bed again, shocked. "How long has it been since the quest to find Artemis?"

Clarisse looked away. That in itself scared me more than anything else. I reached up, grabbed her shoulders, and wrenched her around to face me. "Tell me!" I demanded.

"Well, at least she seems to be getting her strength back," muttered Tammi, the corner of her mouth twitching. "Sorry," she added as Clarisse glared at her.

"It's been seventy-eight years since the quest for Artemis," Clarisse finally said.

Shocked, I released her. Disbelief filled me. "Then why do you look exactly the same?" I demanded.

She spread her arms helplessly. "I'm immortal, too," she said. "The heroes are all in the Lotus Casino, and I had to be able to get them out."

I nodded, starting to calm down, but then another thought struck me, and it was all I could do to stop from screaming. "What about Nico? Is he there?" Clarisse winced and looked away. "Is he still alive?" I asked desperately, clutching at her sleeve helplessly.

Taking a deep breath, she looked at me in the eye and shook her head.

Agony coursed though me, pain a thousand times the pain that had plagued me as I was trapped in Talos's head. I cried out, every muscle clenching in shock, rivers of tears pouring down my cheeks. Dimly, I was aware of Hekate ushering the others out, but Clarisse stepped forward and laid her arm gently on my shoulder before exiting. As she went, she glanced back, and her eyes were suddenly a million years old. Empathy shone, and, somehow, I heard her unspoken words: _I know your pain_.

Then she stepped out, and I was left alone in the hospital room, just as alone there as I was in the world.


	7. Guardian

**Year 73 of the Titans**

**Friday, April 13****th**

**Clarisse's POV**

**Present Day**

A full week passed before Bianca was declared healthy enough to go on the quest. I spent the time exploring the boundaries of Hekate's realm. The entrance I had come down into was the palace; there was an entire city of obsidian outside the palace, built into an immense sloping cavern a thousand feet high. The palace was like a carved pillar standing in the middle, surrounded by towers and forges and armories that were dwarfed by its size. All of them were elegantly styled, with beautiful curves and spires coming from the top. There were many creatures of all sorts there – many more than was permitted, I'd bet.

Since Kronos is so paranoid about rebellion, each individual Titan is only permitted 500 monstrous creatures in their personal army – and it can only be of one type of monster, one approved by Kronos himself. The international army consists of over two thousand monsters of all types, all fiercely loyal to Kronos. Anyways…

On the final day, I took a path that led nearly down and, to my surprise, found myself in what looked like a tomb. I couldn't tell exactly, but what looked like a huge coffin sat in the center of the room, decorated with paintings and designs. Surrounding it were statues of great and terrible creatures, creatures with heads of animals and bodies of men, creatures of animals so immense and terrifying it made me hesitate for a moment. But it _was _in Hekate's realm; what harm could there possibly be? I started forward, but before I could explore, Tammi found me.

"Clarisse! Stop!" I turned to see her sprinting towards me. She skidded to a stop and grabbed my arm. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

I shrugged. It didn't really seem like a big deal to me, but from the way Tammi was acting, something was really wrong. She kept giving the crypt behind me nervous glances, and her hair was gently smoking. I had gotten to know her over the past couple weeks, and she was not the type to get upset easily. I glanced backwards myself, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Besides the fact that there was a tomb there, of course.

"What's so terrible about this place?" I asked. "I mean, it _is _in Hekate's realm; if it was dangerous, she would've posted guards or something."

Tammi shook her head, sending smoke cascading out in ribbons. "You don't understand! Mother Hekate spends almost all of her spare time here. Nobody knows what she's doing, but we can all feel the power emanating out of there. She's trying to do something down there, and whatever it is, it isn't anything like we know."

"How is it different?" I asked, starting to get interested. "Is it filled with monsters? Celestial bronze?"

The _empousa _shook her head again. "It isn't from any civilization I know. Not Greece, not any modern civilization. It smells different."

"What about the smell?" I asked. Now I was driven not only by idle curiosity but by a sense of both anticipation and dread of what was to come.

Tammi paused, searching for the words. "It smells… like heat," she finally said. "Like a beach, but not like a beach – it's as distinct as Olympus was to Orthys. It has an aura of power, of death, of decay, but of preservation. Aurgh!" She stamped a foot in frustration. "I can't describe it. At any rate, we should get back. Bianca's up and ready to go, and Hekate's called a meeting for the three of us alone. It's sure to be interesting." She grabbed my arm and pulled me back towards the city, talking up a storm the entire way. But I could tell she was only trying to distract me from the yawning depths of the tomb behind me.

I glanced back, just to see it one last time, but there was a sight there that made me pull up short. All the breath left my lungs, and my heart seemed to stop for a moment before it started up at twice its normal speed.

From the tomb, there were eyes watching me. Eyes at least ten feet up in the air, glowing green. They wavered, as if they were a mirage, but there was no mistaking what they were.

"Clarisse?"

I turned to see Tammi looking at me worriedly. "What is it?" she asked. I began to point to the tomb, but, once again, something pulled me up short.

The eyes were gone.

I pulled myself together, forced a smile back on my face, and began to walk back towards the citadel. "Oh, nothing," I said. "Where was the meeting?"

Tammi eyed me curiously, but did not question it. "Hekate's private chambers," she said at last. And together we turned and walked back into the city.

***

**Half an Hour Later**

Bianca and Hekate were waiting for us when we returned to the palace. Bianca, I have to say, didn't look much better. Physically, she was almost completely well again. But her eyes had a distant, haunted look, and, often, if you called her name, she wouldn't respond. I remembered how I had been after Chris had been killed, and I kept my distance, just doing little things to show that I cared. I knew how it felt; I knew that nothing helped. Anything I might be able to do would make it worse.

What she needed was action. She had too much time to dwell upon what had happened. If she didn't have time to think about it, then she wouldn't think about it. I hoped. If not…

We sat down at the table. It, like most things down here, was made of obsidian with Hekate's insignia upon it. Despite its composition, it was smooth, and had no sharp, glassy edges.

Hekate reached into a drawer and slid out a map of the southwestern states. She tapped the line that indicated the Grand Canyon. "This is where we are now," she said. Then she slid her finger along the Colorado River and tapped the Hoover Dam. "The Lotus Casino is in Vegas, but you can follow the Colorado River until you get to the dam. You can make your way to Vegas after restocking in Hoover Dam."

"Oh, yay," murmured Bianca. "We get to visit the dam snack bar again." I glanced at her, and was pleased to see a slight smile curving her lips.

"How will we be traveling?" I asked.

Hekate shrugged. "Hitchhiking, on foot, borrowed car – I don't know. But I can't provide a transport – if you're discovered, you can't be traced back to me. Quite frankly, you demigods don't stand a chance without my armies and my power, and I need to be able to enter the war at a time of _my _choosing. It could make the difference between victory and defeat."  
"What about your food, your drink?" I asked. "Your money, your _empousa_? All of these things can be traced. You can't hide yourself entirely."

The Titaness nodded. "I can't," she agreed. "But Leto can."

I drew in a hissing breath at the mention of Leto. Known as "the hidden one", she was capable of hiding any person or thing from any observation, physical or magical. She could put any illusion up, even manipulate lesser minds. She saw the secrets kept hidden in your mind. Only one of the great deities could even consider successfully breaking her illusions. She was the perfect spy and, despite her lack of real power, possessed a sense of cunning and logic far superior to ours.

Even Bianca looked mildly impressed. "How'd you manage that? Getting her on your side, I mean."

Hekate shrugged. "Her lover was Zeus, her children are Artemis and Apollo. But she isn't "on our side", as you so put it. She is willing to help us, this once. But that is all. She will not risk the disfavor of Lord Kronos."

I frowned. Getting Leto to help was all well and good, but…"How do you know you can trust Leto?" I asked. "For all we know, she could be setting us up."

Hekate grimaced. "I wish there was something we _could _do," she replied. "She has been lurking in here for weeks, it seems, and she knows of my overpopulation, my treachery, and my plans. I could try to imprison or kill her, but any fight of that magnitude would send magical shockwaves throughout the U.S. I might not even win. Leto may not be as powerful as I am, but she is cunning, and her power can be useful in many ways. Even if I am able to defeat her, it would be difficult to imprison her without her absence being noticed."

I frowned. My mind was calculating, trying to run through every possible scenario at once. But there was just no way around it. She came, she saw, and, if she wished, she could conquer. Our restriction was our need for secrecy. Leto had the upper hand.

Tammi leaned forward to speak. "Look, there's no sense in worrying about it. If Leto is a traitor, Leto is a traitor and there's nothing we can do to stop her from bringing the might of the Titans down upon our heads. If she isn't, we may as well trust her."

Bianca tapped a finger against the tabletop, considering the information. Then she looked up and spoke.

"What about blackmail? If we can find some method of leverage against Leto, you can threaten to reveal it and bring her down if she does the same to you."

Bianca looked up and fixed her gaze upon a spot to Hekate's right. "Wouldn't you agree, my lady?" she asked. And, to my disbelief, the air shimmered and there appeared a beautiful young woman, maybe twenty-five or so, with black hair and blue eyes that seemed to glow with silver and gold lights. She was dressed in a black hooded tunic, and all around her was a faint glow of silvery-golden light.

"Indeed," Leto agreed. A small smile spread across her face. The Titaness turned to Hekate and nodded. "These are the ones," she decreed.

"Wait…" I rose to my feet, still confused. "Why were you here? What did you do? How did Bianca see you?"

Leto smiled. "I knew I should help, but I wouldn't if the lot of you were too stupid to succeed. If you were willing to accept my help without question, you would do the same in Vegas. And that will get you killed."

"So all of it was a test," I said in disgust. "Did Hekate know you were there?"  
"Of course," the Titaness of magic replied. "We had arranged this meeting beforehand."

I sighed. "And why am I always the last one to know?" Turning to Bianca, I asked her openly. "And how did _you _know she was there?"

Bianca shrugged. "Leto isn't the only one who can hide. I…er… happened to overhear Leto and Hekate talking."

"Oh, good," remarked Leto. "If a demigod could pierce my defenses so easily, gods help you if you run into Hyperion. He rules from his stead in Las Vegas, you know."

"What are his powers?" I asked. It's always good to know your opponent's strength.

"Chaos," replied Tammi. "He has the ability to warp matter around him – but he has to be in fairly close quarters to do so."

"Makes sense that he rules in Vegas, then," I said. "There's nowhere else as chaotic as that place."

Leto reached into her tunic and pulled out three rucksacks. "These have coin of the Titans, as well as provisions. There are ten orithyses – worth about five hundred golden drachmas, or a little over two thousand dollars. All evidence of Hekate's assistance and providence of them are hidden," she said. "Also in each is a map of the southwest. On the back is a map of Vegas. You'll probably need it to find the Lotus Casino and Resort. That's where all of the heroes will be."

"A word of advice," Hekate warned, standing up. She beckoned to us and walked out the door. Leto snapped her fingers, and silvery light began to swirl around our forms. Somehow, I knew we would be invisible and inaudible to any passerby. "The Lotus was built by powers unknown, infused with a magic more powerful than that of Kronos himself. It is hidden from magical vision by a power greater than Leto's – no offense meant, of course," she added hurriedly. "You will be tempted to stay there – but sit down to play a single game, and you will not be able to leave. It will be difficult to persuade those inside to leave – but you must."

We stopped at a dark archway. On the other side was the tomb I had seen earlier, and I drew a startled breath. Leto snapped her fingers again, and her light disappeared, leaving us in darkness. But Hekate stepped forward and murmured something. Instantly, golden flames blossomed out of every torch set into the wall.

Glancing around, I confirmed that it was, indeed, a tomb. Gold and gems gleamed, set into tall statues that watched us with baleful eyes. Hekate strode past them all, going deeper and deeper. Finally, we stopped. A thin tunnel snaked up to the surface to our left, but Hekate ignored it, stepping around the corner. On the other side was a sight that made me stop dead in my tracks.

A room almost as big as the courtroom was set deep into the stone. The walls were painted gold, and immense paintings and intricate runes spiraled up the walls. Statues bigger than the Colossus at Rhodes stood at attention, weapons held tightly in their hands. And at the center of the room lay a sarcophagus.

Painted and carved onto the twelve-foot long coffin was an immense king, wearing golden robes and a double crown. His head was that of an immense eagle, with the eyes closed. His body was human, and his arms folded across his chest. In then he clutched a T-shaped amulet with a circle up top. In the other was a staff, tipped with the same symbol and painted with energy cackling from its tip. On the sides of his sarcophagus was printed a single word, repeated over and over, in runes, in Roman Characters, in every language imaginable.

**HORUS**

"This place has occupied all of my time since I first arrived in America," said Hekate. Unlike the courtroom, her voice echoed throughout the room, making it almost impossible to hear her clearly. "I built my palace around it, sent my _empousai _to patrol it in the forms of Park Rangers. Some idiot wrote an article on it, but I found him and…informed him of his mistake."

"Did he survive your 'informing'?" asked Tammi.

Hekate sighed. "Of course. Mortals might have thought I had something to hide if someone had been murdered in the area. Anyways, I finally was able to wrest this places origins from its guardian." I remembered the eyes I had seen, and I unconsciously gripped the spear that was Kelli. "This place moves, much the same as Olympus moves. But it is not of Greek origin. This place comes from the lands far to the south of Greece… the place known as Egypt."

Hekate turned to us, her face grim. "I do not know where the others of Egyptian mythology have gone, but it would be invaluable to learn it. They could be out there in the world somewhere, unknown to the Olympians. They could be oppressed by the Titans. Or… they may, even now, be free, roaming the earth. They could be allies against the Titans."

"This, Clarisse, is your next quest. Find them. Bring them to bear against the Titans if you can. As for finding them… I will do my best, but I suspect that they cannot be found magically. It is you who must do it."

Hekate pointed her chin towards the passage to the surface. "Go. The time has come. Find the Timeless. Free them. And seek out those who roam the sandy dunes. Your quest is begun."

She and Leto turned and walked away.

Bianca, Tammi, and I exchanged glances, then turned and followed the passageway out to the light.

**For anyone interested in the content here, I did not make it up. There is indeed rumor of an Egyptian tomb found in the Grand Canyon, and that even now, part of the Canyon is off-limits. I have no idea; I've never been there, but I've found articles about it that may or may not be true. Any information would be welcome – as well as any criticism, constructive or not. Thanks!**

**~Sa Rart~**


	8. Devastation

**Year 73 of the Titans**

**Friday, April 13****th**

**Clarisse's POV**

**Present Day**

We walked.

Endless mile upon mile stretched out before us; the only feature that differed was the immense canyon to our right as we followed it. The sun beat down upon us heavily; it was eerily reminiscent of my time at the ranch in Texas.

Mile after mile. Landscape after landscape. Step after step. My mind started to wander, bored. I started to not take notice of the surrounding features as much.

Hours passed, and still we walked on. Every once and a while we paused to drink from one of Hekate's energy-storing drink, but we didn't talk much.

I remembered, remembered…

**Year 2010 A.D.**

**Monday, June 21****st**

**Clarisse's POV  
**

I arrived at Camp bone-weary, mind hardly working anymore. My mind was whirling after the events that day. Hekate, the Lotus, the Huntresses, the missing… All of it jumbled together in my head.

Why were we fighting, anyway? Couldn't the gods and the Titans just make their peace with one another and rule jointly? I shook my head. I was a daughter of Ares, for goodness's sake! Why wasn't I more excited by the prospect of war?

"You are not excited because you have renounced your heritage," a voice murmured in my ear.

I whirled, spear already in hand, only to find a young woman, maybe twenty or so, smiling gently down on my. She had shoulder-length hair that was a dark brown, and eyes that seemed to almost glow with light. Even without that tell-tale sign, I would've been able to tell that this being was an immortal. There's just a certain air about them, one you just never quite forget.

"Hestia," I said, bowing low. "What do you mean, exactly?" I had met too many gods that day to be particularly awed or worshipful.

"Ah, my dear girl," said the goddess of the hearth, walking beside me. "I am sorry. I know how hard it is to cope with. Your father is different than most people. He has not the same capacity for loving bonds as you or I."

I glanced up at the sky, wondering if I would see a bolt of red lightning arcing from it to strike Hestia down. When none came, I assumed it was safe. But Hestia was still talking.

"Mortal beings always have the ability to retain some portion of their parent's ability, but it is not the power that matters. It's the mindset. If you want to act precisely like your father, you can do so. But it is not something you are born with. You are gifted with the ability to do as you wish."

Was there a point I there somewhere? I wasn't sure. "I'm sorry – I'm not quite sure I get your point. What is it exactly that you wish to tell me, Lady?"

She stopped walking and turned to face me directly. "You are your own person. Act as you want, not as what you think your father would want." Hestia raised a hand and touched me lightly on the cheek. "Keep hope, my dear. No matter how bad things seem, there is always hope." The goddess smiled sadly, and I was struck dumb by the depth of shared pain and compassion I saw in her eyes. Nobody – besides Chris, that is – really cared about me, but in her eyes, I saw belonging. I saw love. I saw home.

And with that, Hestia shimmered and turned into a light. Not the harsh, incinerating light of the Olympians, but the gently shining light of the hearth. A beam of light played out and glowed upon me, and a warm wind smelling of warmth and care swept over me. I closed my eyes and swayed slightly as the power of Hestia. It was not great and terrible, like Zeus's, nor deep and cold like Poseidon's. But the loving touch of the goddess had touched me, and it was something I would never forget.

I stood for a moment, savoring the sense of belonging and tender care. Then I turned, still smiling gently, and continued towards Camp.

And was promptly struck dumb by the dreadful scene before me.

Smoke curled out of what had once been the Big House. It was now a blackened shell. Two metal poles stood in front of it, but the volleyball net that had been strung between them was gone, burned into blackened ash that now littered the sand. Surrounding the remains were the cabins – what was left of them. Demigods both mortally wounded and dead were strewn around them. Enemy demigods around them also were dead, looks of terror on their faces.

Peleus the dragon was still alive, snorting and pawing piteously at the body of a girl with a sword cut on her side. I hurried forward, calming Peleus with a scratch under his chin, and ripped off a piece of the girl's shirt to bind the wound. Sifting through my pack, I came out with a bottle of nectar and let a small stream trickle down her throat. She stirred slightly, and Peleus reared in joy. I recognized her as the dragon's feeder, and I prayed to the skies that she would recover. Her name was Grace, and she was a daughter of Demeter, I recalled.

I glanced around to find the other campers, but it was hard to see in the smoke. Or was it mist? It was hard to tell. At any rate, I could tell that there were no conscious campers at the moment.

I yanked the dragon keeper's bottle of nectar out of her belt pouch and ran over to the next person. It was Beckonderf, blood still trickling from a wound on his head. His sword was buried in another half-blood. I turned to the next one lying beside him, and I felt my heart twist in anguish as I beheld him.

It was Chris, but it was clear that Hades already had him. His entire form was mangled, bones sticking out at the joints. From the looks of it, he had been stepped on by a giant. Tears trickled down my cheeks, and I gently touched him on the cheek. But that was all I could afford; there were too many wounded that needed help.

As I mechanically bound wounds and gave out nectar, questions swirled through my mind. How had monsters gotten into Camp? Were the borders still up? Why had the enemy withdrawn, leaving living demigods behind? Why weren't there any half-bloods left conscious? What had happened? And why on earth was there so much fog so late in the day?

A dark shaped blossomed in the mist, moving slowly, in a staggering gait I recognized very well. Absolute terror bloomed inside of me as memories from the Labyrinth bombarded me.

And then through the fog of the past bloomed Hestia's face, and Hestia's love, and I started to calm down. I slowly brought into focus the figure standing before me.

It was the Oracle.

"What happened here?" I asked it. "Why is nobody conscious?"

Before I could react, the mummy reached forward and touched me on the forehead. The shriveled flesh was warm, like living flesh. Instantly, images began to bloom in my head.

_It is noon. Sentries patrol the border, but they are bored, hardly paying attention at all. All is quiet and well._

_Then through the cover of the trees comes an army, composed completely of enemy demigods. They go straight through the barrier; after all, the barrier can't tell who's friend or foe. _

_Individuals creep off, getting behind the sentries before cutting their throats. The dragon Peleus rears, then crouches and roars, sending a stream of fire at the nearest demigod. He dodges, then swings his mace, striking the dragon's head. Peleus falls to the ground, stunned._

_"Torches!" yells the leader, a boy with blonde hair and golden eyes. His voice is like a blade scratching across stone. He carries a monstrous scythe, made of celestial bronze and steel, but handles it with supernatural ease. His name was once Luke, but now he is called Kronos._

_Torches are brought up, and Kronos give the signal. They lower the torches and set the tree that once contained the daughter of Zeus alight, pulling the fleece from its branches. As the tree burns, Kronos gives a signal, and another army of Laistragonians, dracanae, hellhounds, spawn, and Cyclopses move in. The assembled arm marches upon the camp._

_There are shouts as the demigods realize they are under attack. They produce weapons, but do not have the time to put on armor. A conch horn is blown, and the satyrs and dryads come in from the woods, but are easily defeated by the monsters. _

_Kronos charges at the front of the army. He slashes hearts and breaks arms through upraised shields. None can stop the Titan Lord._

_The army crashes down upon the rest of the demigods, who are outnumbered ten to one. They would have broken, but leading the line is Beckonderf, and beside him are Malcolm and Silena. They inspire the others with their courage, and the buckling line slowly straightens._

_But Kronos is upon them, and with him is the howling mob of monsters and half-bloods. The line is pushed back, and the first few cabins are torched. The Hunters arrive from the fields soon afterwards, and the line is held once more. But it cannot last._

_Clouds of green fog slowly began to envelop the scene. Nobody notices at first, but as more and more campers fall, the attacking monsters have small breaks in which there are lulls in the fighting. They notice, and are frightened._

_And over the rise in the hill comes the Oracle. Kronos notices, and with a snarl turns to face it._

_And then it speaks. The hissing voice echoes through the mind, not the ears, and cannot be blocked out._

I am the Spirit of the Oracle at Delphi, Speaker of the prophecies of Phobeus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Be gone from this place.

_Kronos barks out short bursts of laughter. "It is a mummy, nothing more," he shouts in his terrifying voice. "Destroy it!"_

_A wave of monsters storms toward it. The Oracle watches impassively with cold, dead eyes. As they get close, it reaches out its arms. Streams of green mist envelop the attacking monsters with an eerie hiss. When the mist clears, the monsters are gone._

_Now waves and streams of the mist envelop all monsters. Despite their resistance, they cannot stop it. But Kronos stands in the way of the demigods, and he will not let the Oracle destroy the remains of his army without a fight. Golden light blazes from his eyes, halting the mist. Then the Oracle raises its arms again, and the mist reforms into an immense serpent. Mist curling around its insubstantial form, it strikes with unimaginable force. The body that once belonged to Luke is sent spinning to the wind, miles above. It is lost from sight. _

_Now the serpent dissolves into a wave of mist which rolls over top of the demigods. It disappears into their eyes, their noses, their ears, their mouths. Their eyes roll up and they collapse unconscious. No one – not even the defenders – are spared. _

Sleep, _murmurs the Oracle. _Sleep until you are woken.

_With mist still curling around the ruins of the cabins, the Oracle sits and becomes inanimate once more._

_More scenes follow. Kronos has been blasted out to sea, but even now, he reasserts himself. The waters grow solid in a path to shore, and the Titan Lord begins to return. When he does, he will find that he is thousands of miles south, and he will return to a place known as Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost point of South America. It will take him many days to return._

_The scene changes again. Perseus, Annabeth, Thalia, Zoë, Soaron, Cassandra, and Nico are lying on a desert floor, guarded by two _empousai_. All but Nico are asleep. Nico slowly sits up, glancing around at the _empousai_, but they do not see that he is awake. Stealthily, he creeps off into the desert. He is going to see the place that his sister died, two miles away in the junkyard, but he will find a battle raging there, as his father battles a Titan. He will try and help there, only to be killed._

_Up upon Olympus, the Ophiotaurus is being taken out of its aquarium by Artemis. Using her chariot, she moves down to the sea, where she lets it go. She gives it one of her hunting knives and tells it to go the center of the Atlantic, then swim to the bottom. He will find a beast there more terrible than can be imagined, but if he gives it her hunting knife – at its full size, which is roughly eight feet long – then it will let him shelter in the ruins there until he wants to leave. The Ophiotaurus moos his thanks before starting his long swim to Atlantis._

Then I am released. I rock back on my heels at the magnitude of the scenes before me.

"Thanks – I think," I said. The Oracle seemed to nod before shambling back into the Big

A couple half-bloods had woken up, so I put them to work. We locked all of the enemy half-bloods in the basement with enough food and water to keep them alive for a week or so. We also put some nectar in there, in case they were wounded badly.

I stayed for the next couple of days – just long enough to bury the dead and help to fortify the camp. I would've stayed longer, but without Chris there, it just was too sad. Without Percy, I couldn't practice swordplay; without Annabeth, there was nobody to talk to about strategy or tactics. I left three days later, making sure everybody knew I was going. Many people were sad to see me go; some wept openly. Then again, that may have been due to the tragedy over the past couple days.

When I was about to go, Beckonderf came up to me for a final goodbye. I hadn't known him too well, but he was nice enough.

"Just a little something to help keep you alive," he said. He held out a bracelet made up of small links of metal woven together in an intricate pattern. At the center, a miniature spear was imprinted upon the metal.

"Twist the spear and murmur your name to fire it," Beckonderf told me. "Inside is a poison-tipped dart. Only one shot."

"Thanks," I said. "Good luck managing the camp."

I surprised both of us by reaching forward and hugging him. Then I turned and walked away from what had been my home for ten years. I didn't look back.

**Year 73 of the Titans**

**Friday, April 13****th**

**Clarisse's POV**

**Present Day**

Bianca's voice woke me from my reverie. "I know this place," she said, looking around uneasily. I opened my eyes and looked around, too.

It was obvious that a great battle had once been fought here. Skeletons, mostly dissolved from decades of lying in the sun, still clenched weapons in their bony fists.

Ahead of us was a small mountain of metal. It took me a moment to realize it was a head of an immense automaton. The face on it was twisted and deformed.

Atop the head, in a small crater that made it flat there, lay a pile of black armor. Atop of it gleamed a helm that was strangely familiar. The armor measured a good twenty feet long. There was no skeleton inside.

Next to the huge pile lay a smaller skeleton, clothed in black armor as well. In one hand was clutched a sword of Stygian iron three feet long; in the other was a small figure that gleamed gold.

"This is where I was trapped," Bianca whispered. She walked over to the head and traced her hand over a small opening in the side. The sides were jagged, as if it had been cut with a knife.

Bianca slowly climbed to the top of the head and walked over to the armor. "Father," she whispered. She gently ran her hand along the armor. When she reached the helm, however, something strange happened.

There was a sudden wind that sprang up, whipping her hair across her face. Slowly, the entire pile of armor lit up, then began to shrink and change shape. Where the armor of Hades once rested was now a pile of armor that would fit Bianca perfectly. Even as I watched, there was a blaze of black light, and she was suddenly wearing the armor. The helm of Hades, his symbol of power, was held under one arm.

"Of course," I whispered. No Titan could touch a god's symbol of power, and vice versa. Unable to move or hide the helm, and unwilling to go near the aura of death around it, the Titans would have just left it as it was. No sane person would go so far into the desert; there was no point. A building so far out would attract more attention than an old battle site.

But Bianca did not notice or care about the armor now. She was facing the smaller skeleton, and then she knelt beside it. "Nico," she whispered. "I'm so sorry." Tears were flowing down her cheeks, and her body shook with silent sobs. Then she reached down and gently opened his left hand. She took the small figure out of it and held it up to the light.

It was a small figure of Hades. She broke down then and there and began crying. I went up to her and gently laid a hand on her shoulder, then reached over and hugged her gently. She returned it. It was a little awkward, since we were both wearing armor, but if it was comforting to have a shoulder to cry on, I would give it.

We set up a camp for the night several miles out, out of sight of the junkyard behind a small pile of boulders. Bianca sat outside her tent for most of the night. I sat with her, not making any transparent promises that everything would be all right, or that she would feel better in the morning. I just silently let her know that I was with her. That she was not alone in the world.

She went to bed around two, and I heard her breathing become deep and even as she fell asleep within minutes. It took me much longer. Finally, I drifted into a shallow sleep, filled with dreams of faces long dead and forgotten love from decades ago.

**Thanks to RichGirl$78, Hera+Zeuslover6832, Phoenix Espeon, ZoeNightshade2214, MyPenIsSharperThanYourSword and, Swimstar for their reviews.**


	9. Hunted

**Year 73 of the Titans**

**Sunday, April 16**

**Bianca's POV**

**Present Day**

"We shouldn't be here," said Tammi nervously. "It's after curfew. If we're caught, we'll be brought to Hyperion himself for the judgment."

"Your point?" asked Clarisse, lazily flicking a polishing cloth along her revolver.

Tammi pointed at the gun with a rigid finger. "And _that_ is not going to make anything better. Guns are illegal!"

Clarisse rolled her eyes. "So is being out after curfew. So quit shouting, will you? You'll bring the whole city down on our heads."

It had been about midnight when we had entered Las Vegas. Normally, we wouldn't have been let in, but Clarisse used her newly acquired spear to shatter the main gate. Apparently, the thing was electric. Then she impaled the two guards with her other spear. Since the blade was celestial bronze, it didn't pierce him, but it was coated in a tranquilizer that instantly put them to sleep. Of course, no one would let us into a hotel or anything since the curfew was in effect, so we were still wandering around the streets.

"Just great," grumbled Tammi. "First you bust the gate, then put the guards to sleep despite my advice to stop. Then–"

"You call this _advice_?" Clarisse demanded, pointing to two deep sets of gashes on her armor. "You grabbed me and tried to hold me back _after _I had already destroyed the gate and the guards jumped me!"

Tammi ignored her protests and continued. "_Then _we run into a patrol at a gas station for official Titan vehicles, and you blow the whole place up with your new spear! To you, that thing is one big toy! It was only thanks to _me _that we were able to get away!"

"Yeah," I said. "You threw a slot machine at them."

Clarisse snorted in amusement, and Tammi glared at me. I noticed that the _empousa_'s hair was starting to smoke, and decided to stop making comments.

The two of them had been having some versions of this argument since we broke in. I was a little bored with it by now, but I was hardly likely to say anything about it. Clarisse would probably shish-kabob me, and Tammi would claw me remains to pieces before continuing their endless debate.

Clarisse started to say something else, but Tammi slapped a clawed hand over her mouth. The daughter of Ares ripped it off and was about to say something when Tammi grabbed her and dragged her into an alley to our left.

"Patrol," she hissed. Clarisse nodded, all traces of anger suddenly gone, and crept further down the narrow passage. I followed. I could now hear the heavy tread of boots behind us now. And not only boots. There was a loud _whoosh _as an unseen but undoubtedly large pair of wings beat the air, and the clicking of many claws across cement and concrete. Then there came a sound far worse: the snuffle of a wolf, and the faint growl that indicated a scent detected. I turned and ran as a triumphant howl split the air.

Clarisse put in a surprising turn of speed for a girl so heavily burdened with pack and weapons, with Tammi right on her heels. I followed as best I could, but my muscles still weren't back to normal. I would never admit it, but since my imprisonment inside Talos, I was feeling less at ease with the world, more of an outcast from society. I felt like my body was a vehicle, and I was riding it, much like I had once rode around in Talos. After a few minutes of running, my knees were all ready to crumble.

Then the helm on my head suddenly gave a burst of heat, and I was filled with new energy. I felt powerful and at home. My muscles no longer ached as much, and I was able to pick up my speed.

It felt like Clarisse led us through the entire city; down streets, up alleys, through yards, over fences, under barbed wire. For over twenty minutes we ran, with the sound of the patrol growing ever fainter.

Finally, she slowed, and motioned for us to be quiet. We listened, but all I could hear was the chirp of crickets and a gust of wind against my face. But then there was a soft sound, another gust of wind from above. I cocked my head, trying to hear…

And there was a roar, and the night was suddenly lit up by a pillar of blazing flames that cascaded from the skies. It struck directly in front of us, blocking our way out. I glanced up, and beheld, in all its glory, a dragon.

It was a full thirty feet long, and bright red. Heat radiated from its every scale, and I was sent reeling from the sheer magnitude of its power. Then its eyes became visible: two glowing green slits in a narrow, angular face. The flames abruptly ceased to flow, and it landed directly in our path. We were trapped.

Then, with a roar, the patrol of Tartarian wolves burst out from behind us. Their eyes glinted with red light to match the claws of Krios that gleamed at their feet.

"Tammi, hold back the wolves," Clarisse hissed. "Bianca, I'll distract it; you try to climb to its neck. There's a slight indentation in the back of its skull that leads directly to its brain; stab it there."

Tammi nodded and sprinted to the back of the alley, hair transforming into flames again. She met the spawn head-on, deadly claws scything the air around her. Somehow, she managed to hold them back.

"All right, then," said Clarisse, drawing her spear. The red crystal shone in the light of the fires raging in the dragon's eyes. "Just you and me, then. Come on; let's see what we can do. Go!" The former rancher lunged, spear lead

Slowly, I snuck to the side, then managed to slip under the dragon's foreleg out into the open road on the other side. For a moment, I was sure the dragon had seen, or heard me, but it didn't seem to react. I breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately wished I hadn't. The dragon's huge head swung to the side at the sound. But its eyes swept right over me, then back again. For whatever reason, it couldn't see me. Then Clarisse seized the moment to jab her spear into the creature's stomach, and it instantly lost all interest in me. It turned its head back towards her – right into her next swing. The combined force of her blow and its movement drove the spear through its ear.

Furious, the dragon reared back and unleashed a blast of fire into the alley. Its wing swung back, knocking me into the air. I somehow managed to twist and grab onto one of the spikes on its back, and then hung on for dear life as the dragon raged below me. It could obviously feel me on its back, and did not like it. But when it tried to turn its head to see me, it couldn't. Then there was a thud from below, and the dragon decided to focus on the human stinging it from the front instead of the suicidal one trying to climb its head.

I slowly managed to make my way up its back, despite the continuous motion and heat. The scales burned my hands wherever it touched me, so I tried to grip the spikes, which were slightly cooler. My armor protected me from the heat everywhere else.

Then Clarisse yelled, and electricity sizzled through my body, nearly shaking me. The dragon reared back again, and it was only because my shoulder armor caught on a spike that I didn't fall off. There was another thud, and more electricity sizzled through me. I dimly realized that it was through the dragon that I was feeling the impacts. Evidently, Clarisse was good with her spear.

The dragon hissed, then stepped back. Evidently it had had enough. But before I could jump down, the huge wings flapped, and we were ten, twenty, thirty feet in the air. My stomach seemed to stay behind as the behemoth lunged skywards. But as we gained height, the dragon abruptly roared and lost altitude, nearly crashing into a building as it went. Glancing down, I saw Clarisse's spear embedded in its wing, electricity cracking into the dragon as the wing flapped. Far below ran Clarisse, trying to keep up. Trying to get me.

No way, I thought groggily. She's still trying to help me.

Clarisse yelled something up to me, but I was no longer able to hear quite right.

But no demigod, no matter how fast and in shape, could keep up with a flying dragon. The injured dragon flew, on and on, until it reached an immense wall. Atop it gleamed several towers, made of bright metal. But the dragon did not fly over the wall. Instead, it darted into a cave about halfway up. I heard footsteps, saw people reaching towards me from the back of the cave. I suddenly was aware of pain, horrible pain in my shoulder, and when I managed to turn my head to look at it, it was covered in blood. Blackness began to obscure my vision. And before they reached me, I could see no longer. I gave in to the blackness and followed it into oblivion.

I was on a barge, being poled across a river by a dark ghoul in a black robe… Only the ghoul was Nico, a five-year-old Nico, and there was a sword sticking through his back… He brought up his hand and showed me the figure of Hades, then smiled, showing two baby teeth missing in front. I reached for him, but my hand passed through him, and he dissolved into mist. I couldn't see anything…

Then I felt a hand grasp mine, and I was pulled through the mist, up onto a ledge. It was Clarisse, and she seemed to be crying. She pointed towards the mist, and I saw the Oracle in there, looking at me. It breathed out, and in its breath, I saw a boy and a girl watching TV in a hotel room. They were familiar, but their names wouldn't come to me.

Then I slipped off the ledge, and fell through the mist to the river below. It was like fire, searing through me, but then another hand caught me by the wrist and brought me from the waters. It was the girl from the desert, the girl that brought me to Hekate and the quest.

"Hold on," she whispered to me. She looked worried, but I trusted her. She then pulled me up, and caught me in a tight hug. I could feel the pain of the river's water going away.

"It's all right," she whispered. "You're safe with me."

I nodded before slowly sinking back into the darkness.

Far away, a slender young woman removed her hand from an unconscious hero's forehead. The hero's name was Bianca di Angelo. She was being carried into the great fortress of Hyperion himself, where the girl doubted she would be treated medically. But the gift she had given her would sustain her for months, and gradually heal the wound. She would have liked to do more, but the Titan Lord approached, and she dared not risk discovery.

With one last glance at the fallen hero, the girl slipped away from the dark fortress, to help yet another victim of the Titan's powers. She was not in need of the help at that moment, but she would be shortly. If her premonition was accurate, Clarisse would need her help to survive.

It was said that no mortal could ever destroy a Titan. While she doubted this, she had to admit that the chances were low for Clarisse to defeat the Titan single-handedly. So she would ensure that Clarisse would not have to fight alone. She was going to give her the greatest possible chance of victory.

After all, who better to fight a Titan of death than a goddess of life?

I apologize profusely for the long delay – I hope none of you thought I discontinued it. Thanks to all of you for waiting so long.

Also, I would like to say a thank you to ZoeNightshade2214, Pinconeface711, Swimstar, and MyPenIsSharperThanYourSword for your reviews. You gave me inspiration at a time when I needed it the most.

Until next time!

~Sa Rart~


	10. Spirit

**Year 73 of the Titans**

**Sunday, April 16**

**Clarisse's POV**

**Present Day**

The wall was enormous. Giant. Gargantuan. Immense. Totally impassable and impossible to ignore.

Just like my guilt.

It was my fault that Bianca had been dragged along on this quest; my fault for breaking into the city without thought of the consequences. I had destroyed the gas station and brought every monster in the city down upon us. Were it not for my talking, the patrol would never have heard us, and the dragon would never have been able to attack. Then, when it did, I had sent Bianca to do the job that in all likelihood ended in her death.

The click of metal on pavement permeated my ears, and I recalled the rest of the patrol. I would never have thought it possible, but my guilt and grief increased. No doubt Tammi was dead as well, once again due to my shortsightedness and utter stupidity. No mortal being could ever hold back so many monsters. Not even an _empousa._

The sound of metal on concrete stopped right behind me. "Go away," I told the person behind me. "I'm not bothering you. Just continue on your walk, or run, or whatever."

Oh, wait. Curfew forbids pedestrians at this hour. In that case, it was probably some monster coming to kill me. "Go on ahead, then," I said. "Nothing you can do to me will hurt me now. I've lived through the Second Titanomachy, the Sea of Monsters, and the Battle of the Labyrinth. I have wandered the Labyrinth, and stared into the eyes of Fate itself, and I stood my ground. I lived through the death of the only person I truly loved. Strike me down, and my trials will end. Kill me now, and end my misery."

A low laugh was my only answer. "Why should I, my dear?" asked a deep, powerful voice. "You still have an eternity to suffer. Have you given up already, Clarisse daughter of Ares?"

The _daughter of Ares _caught my attention, and, somehow, impossibly, lit a faint spark of rage underneath the layers of dead guilt. I _hated _being identified with my father. He was the biggest, jerkiest god in the history of gods. He was –

"Really, Clarisse. Your father fought and died for you. His last moment he spent thinking of you, and regretting his long history of crimes. Is this the thanks he gets?"

A shudder of shock ran through my body, and I was abruptly struck with doubt. Could it be true? Had my father, in fact, loved me? I had totally distanced myself from him, until the only connection we had was the blood in our veins. But if what this person was saying was true? If so, I had disgraced and totally obliterated a connection, a bond. What worse insult could I offer him?

"Liar," I said, hearing the doubt in my voice and hating myself for it. Somehow, this person had found the one lie that could still pierce me, still wound me in the one place I could be hurt. Where I was not the invincible, all-powerful warrior, the champion of the gods, but a little girl, grieving for my losses.

"The highly ranked of society do not lie, my dear. And I can assure you I am of the highest rank."

Rage surged through me, for I finally knew who this was. I finally recognized how he was able to hurt me so, how he knew just the words to wound me in a place that can never be healed. He was the Titan of Las Vegas and the West Coast, the ruler of Tartarus and chaos, the Lord of Death, the master of torture, and the greatest Titan warrior after Atlas himself. He was Hyperion.

In one fluid motion I turned, spear out, and stabbed with unmatched speed forward towards the Titan's neck – a neck about six feet up in the air. I was confident that it was a blow that would start and end the fight in a single move.

Instead, my spear was seized in a grip of iron, halting it instantly. The Titan's sword was out as well, and it sliced down at my shoulder, cutting deeply into the inch-thick plate armor I wore on my shoulder. Then he tossed me easily over his shoulder into the wall, exerting no more effort than I would as I lifted my spear.

I slammed into the brick wall, then fell a good five feet down to crash heavily onto the concrete. Laboriously, I got to my feet, still gripping the spear.

Hyperion laughed, then unleashed a burst of power than struck me and slammed me back into the wall again. My armor dissolved into a cloud of noxious gas, while grass grew from the ground and nearby trash cans burst into flames. A second burst of power brought me stumbling forward towards the Titan, who grabbed me around the arms and lifted me, appraising me for a moment before tossing me back to the ground.

"You are strong for a woman, and are capable of using a spear and sword. You have plenty of spirit, and are immortal thanks to your work on Eurytion's ranch." Hyperion smiled greedily. "You could easily bear sons, sons that will serve me faithfully and well. I think I will take you to my palace, and give you a place to live – even amnesty, provided you swear by the Titan King himself that you will remain loyal to us."

"Burn in Tartarus," I rasped, getting to my feet again. I lunged, only to have him easily redirect the blow into the wall with his sword. Then he sent me sprawling with a backhand blow to the stomach. My spear remained stuck in the wall.

"Touchy, touchy," he sighed, shaking his head. "You'll grow out of it in a couple years in my service."

My temper broke then and there. This… _thing _had insulted me and mocked me long enough. Adrenaline flowed through me as my heart sped up in anticipation of a fight..

I unsheathed my own sword and stabbed at his chest, but then raised it to his eyes halfway into the blow. Unprepared, he blocked clumsily, momentarily flustered. I seized the opportunity to bring my other arm in an underhand punch into his gut.

Hyperion swore in ancient Greek and swung a blow with supernatural strength into my sword. The useless thing shattered, and I had to scramble back to avoid the next blow. He would've had me then and there were in not for a gust of wind that blew smoke from the burning trash cans into his eyes. Momentarily blinded, his blow failed to connect.

Instantly, I snatched up my fallen spear and swung around to face him again. He had recovered, and begun with a vicious swipe to my face. I replied with an elbow to his nose and a stomp on his instep. He snarled, and swung again.

In my time at Camp Half-Blood, I had been one of the best fighters ever to live there. At the height of my strength I fought and defeated Python himself – a feat unequaled by any since Apollo himself. I had been the first daughter of Ares in millennia to be allowed to drive the war chariot. And then, after that, during my time at the ranch, I trained in earnest for over seventy years. I had honed my fighting skills to an unmatched ferocity and skill that made my skills as a camper seem like a toddler with a stick. And then, on my quest to get to Vegas, I was able to put my skills in use, making myself even stronger.

In this fight, it amounted to nothing.

No matter what I pulled, no matter where I struck or attacked, Hyperion would block, then counter with something worse. I was able to block most of his blows, but the few he scored soon began to tell. Without armor, I was completely unprotected but for clothing that offered no protection whatsoever. I was soon wounded in the collarbone, cheek, hip, and ankle. And with each additional wound, I weakened even more.

Finally, Hyperion swung his sword with a strength I couldn't match, sending my spear spinning from my hands. I was weaponless, and had no more means of defending myself. I was beaten.

Hyperion smiled, then raised a hand, chaos energy bubbling at the fingertips. The blast he was gathering would be too big to dodge, and too powerful for me to fight off. I was finished, and we both knew it. All I could do was stare in dull shock as a burst of reddish plasma blasted out towards me.

But the blast abruptly slowed down, as if time itself was stopping. I felt a sudden flare of energy inside of me, a burst of heat across my face and the roar of a river in my ears. I suddenly heard music, a wild melody from an instrument I could not name nor recognize. I felt stronger, hopeful. I felt hope, love, and grace within me, and I was reminded of Hestia, and her words of comfort, from so long ago.

But this was not Hestia. This was far stronger, with power like none I had ever felt.

I felt myself raising a hand, and a blast of sand cascaded out, whirling wildly in a nonexistent wind. Hyperion's blast was halted. The look of surprise on his face was comical, and I would have burst out laughing if I could.

But I was no longer in control of my body. I was completely controlled by the prescence, the spirit that was suddenly within me, and at its mercy just as much as I had been at Hyperion's.

"Really, Hyperion," I heard myself say. "You should know that assuming victory is the first step to defeat. You really should be less careless; you might get in trouble for it someday."

I/the spirit lifted my/our hand, and another blast of energy came out, not aimed at Hyperion, but the alley wall behind him. Bricks fused and changed shape as a monster of stone pushed its way out of the wall it had just been a part of. The grass on the ground flowed together to form another beast, both of them at least ten feet tall.

Hyperion snarled, and a wave of his own hand sent shock waves rippling out. Holes were torn in the pavement as Tartarian spawn leapt out, right at the two monsters the spirit had created. But the spirit wasn't done yet.

Suddenly, my arms sprouted feathers and changed shape, and we leapt into the air as my arms changed into two immense wings. We pointed, and a whirlwind of sand cascaded downwards to envelop Hyperion. He roared, trying to swat it away, but it seemed to have a life of its own. Within seconds, it solidified, forming a sand sculpture of the Titan. He was completely frozen, unable to move.

We landed, my wings shifting back into arms. Then we walked up to the statue, simply appraising it for a moment. Evidently satisfied, the spirit nodded and stretched an arm up to the forehead to paint a simple symbol across it. It looked like a Christian cross, but instead of a line on the top there was an oval. It was a symbol I had seen repeated over and over in the tomb within Hekate's fortress.

The spirit inspected its handiwork, then abruptly released my body. I staggered, suddenly weak and without energy. I mean, I've been tired before, but never like this. I literally could not stand up. I collapsed in a heap on the ground, suddenly terrified. If the spirit had wanted me dead, it could easily destroy me.

_I'm sorry_, whispered a voice in my mind. _I did not mean for this to happen, but I needed your strength to defeat Hyperion. I was too weak to do it on my own._

"Who are you?" I yelled to the air. "What do you want from me?"

A faint outline of a girl appeared in the air in front of. I couldn't make out any features but for the bright blue eyes and a glint of gold about her hair.

_For fear of consequences, I will not speak my name in the realm of the Titans. I am a goddess from Egypt, and all I desire to do is to overthrow the Titans and be rid of them. Those who worshipped the Egyptian gods have long since died out, and we rarely have children among mortals. Without them, we are weak. Our only source of strength is the Nile itself – and I have traveled too far away to receive energy from there. I had to take some of yours to maintain myself._

"If you're so weak and powerless, how did you even get here without dying on the way, let alone destroy a Titan?" I said bluntly. I was in no mood for subtlety.

Her outline had solidified, and I was able to see her more. A crown of gold feathers covered her hair. Gold feathers as in made of gold. She was slim, with lightly tanned skin and a priestess's white robe. All in all, she didn't look too Egyptian.

_I am not weak and powerless, as you so put it, but it took all of my strength to return the shade of Bianca di Angelo back to her body and to heal her enough to keep it there. I was lucky you were so close, otherwise I may well have dissolved and returned to Egypt, where I would slowly revive in the river Nile._

"Wait a second – Bianca's alive?" Hope rose within me, a feeble thread connecting me to life.

_Yes._

Relief swamped me, and for a moment I could not speak. I was free of my guilt – somewhat – and once again had hope for the future. I felt as though I had just been pulled from the darkest pit of Tartarus and allowed to see the sun again.

_I am sorry, Clarisse, but I must return to Egypt soon. Your strength shall let me return still alive, but it will not last long. I apologize for your weakness, but I should be able to find room for you in an inn somewhere, where you can recover._

"Two questions before you go," I said. My vision flickered, and I nearly passed out before willing myself back up. "No, three. Where's Bianca? How long will it take me to recover? And could you drop me off near the Lotus Casino and Hotel? It's across the wall, but you can fly me over."

The simple effort of talking overcame me, and I slumped, my eyes closing. I was about to pass out when the might of the spirit fused with mine. I couldn't force my eyes to open, but I didn't need to. She had sprouted wings and feathers, and, slowly, we lifted off the ground and over the immense wall.

_Bianca is being taken to Hyperion's fortress on the Titan side of the wall. I wish I could help you get her out, but I will not have the strength to do so. Hyperion will most likely free himself by morning; you, too, will recover around then. Do you want me to drop you off in the Lotus, or in another inn nearby?_

I found I could no longer muster up the energy to speak, so I simply thought the words.

Nearby. Not in the Hotel, unless you can speed up time by a hundred times.

_Oh, gods, no. No one but the greatest beings of power could do _that_. Even Kronos himself would have difficulty with such a task._

I tried to nod, but could not.

_I'm so sorry, Clarisse. I did not mean for this to happen. If there was another way, I would have taken it in a heartbeat. I hope you find your friend._

I felt myself being set down, heard voices. But I found that I could struggle no longer.

I gave in to the dark, and all I could do was hope I would rise from it again.

My life is in your hands, spirit. The fate of the world now rests on your shoulders. I did my best, but it wasn't enough. It's up to you now.

**Thanks to Swimstar, Windowchild, pineconeface711, Nicco1395, and ZoeNightshade2214 for their reviews. Where the heck are the rest of you? **

**I'm sorry – this was a little shorter than normal, and written more quickly than I normally write. I appreciate any and all reviews concerning grammar, spelling, praise, criticism, flames… whatever. Any and all feedback is welcome.**

**Thanks for reading, all; I hope to update soon.**

**~Sa Rart~**


	11. Labyrinth

**Year 73 of the Titans**

**Monday, April 17****th**

**Clarisse's POV**

**Present Day**

_Dark corridors lit only by flickering torches. Metal grate floors lit by fluorescent lights. Old sewer tunnels covered in graffiti. Roman mosaics surrounding a fountain without water. All different types of halls and passages that, alone, could mean many things, but together bring to mind but a single word: the Labyrinth._

_I ran down the never-ending corridors, spear in hand. I was wearing no armor, but instead was clothed in plain linen garments – the type I'd normally wear underneath the armor. It offered no protection whatsoever against the bite of sword or spear – or scythe._

_Behind me reverberated the slow and steady footsteps of Kronos himself, the Lord of Time. As hard as I tried to, I simply couldn't outrun him._

_Suddenly, the maze shifted; I was now standing in a large room, covered in mirrors. On one side of the room lay a dark pit, lit only by the glow of fire and lava at the bottom far below. On the other lay a small waterfall, a gently flowing stream of water that passed through a gap in the wall with mercurial ease._

_The corridors behind me disappeared, save for the one that the footsteps of the Titan Lord behind me, slowly advancing. I was running out of time, and I knew it._

_Ahead of me loomed two immense doors, locked and barred with silver chain. Between them stood Janus, the God of Choices, the two-faced porter of the doors to glory and doom. He smiled as he tossed his golden key from hand to hand. Then I saw the two figures in front of the doors, and I forgot all about _him. _For before me loomed two of the most great and terrible figures in my lifetime. The Lord of Chaos and the God of War. Hyperion and Ares._

_"Clarisse," said Hyperion, baring his teeth in an approximation of a smile. "How nice to see you again, my pretty."_

_"Ignore him," said Ares. "You know your quest. You know what you must do."_

_Both of them were in full armor, dressed for battle. But their armor was battered and grimy, and ichor dripped from deep wounds in their bodies. It ran in streams on the ground, merging into a puddle before separating to fall into the water and the pit. I tried to tell which was which, but they were too entwined to tell. Kronos's footsteps grew ever nearer._

_"Shoo," I told them both. "I'm doing something here." I did my best to conceal the rising dread within me. I spared a moment to look around for an escape route other than the two doors. There was nothing but the two deities in the mirror. They stood apart, but as I watched, the reflections melded together into a single figure._

_"Still don't get it, Clarisse?" Hyperion sighed in exasperation. "You don't have to side with the gods. They have done nothing for you, never been who they should have been to you. Why stick with them now? You could work for me, if you wanted, or even Lord Kronos himself. You have the strength and the power. Why throw away your life for a father that never cared, a father who left you to die?"_

_"He's a Titan," said Ares flatly. "He is a master of lies, the lord of Tartarus and chaos. He's playing with you, Clarisse, but you don't need to play his game. Side with the gods. Side with your family, my daughter. I beg of you!" I could hear the desperation in his voice/_

_"Shut up, the both of you," I said bluntly. "I couldn't care less what the pair of you wanted. I've hated the both of you for years – the two most cruel and brutal gods you could find in all of the ages. Neither of you mean a thing to me."_

_"But he could have been, Clarisse" said Hyperion, staring into my eyes. "He was your _father._ He and his great godly friends locked the Titans in Tartarus, but we have risen once more. We rule humanity with justice and order – something your family never had the guts to do."_

_The footsteps behind me grew near._

_Gods or Titans? Hyperion or Ares? I couldn't decide. Neither was good – but which was worse?_

_And the footsteps grew ever nearer…_

A knock sounded from far away.

_Nearer…_

Another knock, more hesitant this time.

"Mama, I think she's still sleeping."

_And as I stood there, struck with indecision, I heard the footsteps halt behind me. I heard the swish of air as the scythe I knew to be there fell. And I closed my eyes and waited for death…_

"Awaken."

With a yell, I burst free of my dream, thrashing furiously to avoid a blow that was not forthcoming. I fell out of the bed, landing on the floor with a loud crash that had to have been heard throughout the city.

Wooden floor, not rock tunnel. Room, not corridor. Windows, not mirrors. I was free of the Labyrinth.

But where the heck was I? Oh, right. The Egyptian goddess had said she would arrange something. Whatever the heck that meant.

Suddenly, I realized there was a woman standing in front of me, clad in a full body white robe. It was decorated with golden hieroglyphs that seemed eerily familiar to those in the tomb of Horus.

"Awaken, Clarisse. Your quest must now continue."

**Wow. It's been… how long? Jeez. You probably all thought I discontinued the story. Sorry to disappoint you. **

**I'll try to update more often from now on, hopefully about every other week. Hopefully, I can also get the chapters to be a little longer, too. With school and all, it might be hard, but I'll do my best. The gods know you guys deserve it. Thanks for sticking with me this long, my faithful readers. **

**I will also extend a big thanks to my loyal reviewers, who have been with me through good times and bad. This instance was the latter. Thanks again! This elite cast of readers include ****Tara Liana Ni Conchuir, Proud Asian Weirdo Kid, Caerus, Cherry Chocolate Pie, Fairest of All, ZoeNightshade2214, Nicco1395, Swimstar, and MyPenIsSharperThanYourSword. **

**Until next time!**

**~Sa Rart~**


	12. Ancient

**Year 73 of the Titans**

**Monday, April 17****th**

**Present Day**

"Where am I?" I asked, instantly up and alert. "Who are you?" I tried to rise to my feet, only to collapse back onto the bed, panting from the exertion. Then reality came crashing back, and I remembered it all.

"What is this place?" I asked. "Who are you?"

Then the figure stepped into the room, and I could see her more clearly. Slender cheekbones framed dark blue eyes. Black hair streamed down her shoulders. She was well tanned. She reminded me a little of the goddess who had helped me earlier – except for the clothing. Instead of gold-adorned robes, this girl wore a simple white cotton dress, with a large blue gem on a necklace.

"I am Iris, and this is my home," she replied, completely at ease despite my hostile tone. "Welcome, Clarisse."

"How do you know my name?" I asked, still wary. Generally, it was only monsters that knew your name before you even spoke to them.

"Relax." She reached down and pulled me up from bed, with surprising strength from such a seemingly delicate girl. "A certain goddess brought you here, weakened from a terrible battle. She gave me orders to care for you, and, when you recovered, bring you to the Lotus Casino. She then left." Those bright blue eyes looked at me, seeming to stare right into my soul. "But I know more than just that, Clarisse. I know the nature of the quest you are on. I know the identity of the ones you seek. I have seen your indecision, and your struggle to decide where your loyalties lie. And I know of your guilt and burning desire for revenge – for those long past as well as those only recently lost."

I was struck dumb with astonishment. "Who _are _you?" I demanded.

Iris smiled and sat down at a small table. It was covered in ancient texts, written on what seemed to be papyrus. "I am what you know as an oracle – in a way. I am gifted not with seeing the future, but the present." Her fingers tapped objects on her desk as she talked – a golden cross-like object, a box covered in writing, a small balance of gold. The latter caught my eye; it was swinging gently and irregularly without her ever having moved it. "I can see, more clearly than most."

"And are you glad?" I asked bluntly, looking right at her. "Or would you rather not have it?"

"Oh, I am most glad for my gift," she said, standing and walking into the other room. She came back with a plate of food, which she handed to me. "In Las Vegas, not everything is as peaceful as it seems. There are small numbers of rebels among us, annoying the Titan Lord with pinpricks. Patrols are often about, and, if they catch you in wrongdoing, you're not seen again for a long time, if ever."

I frowned in confusion. Generally, people hated their so-called "gifts" that they had. Most people that I knew had never wanted to be a demigod or any such thing that was out of the norm.

"I am not most people." Iris said to my unspoken thought. She half-smiled at my astonishment.

"I'm sorry – were you having a private conversation with yourself?" she asked, an eyebrow raised in mock surprise.

"That could get really annoying, really fast," I grumbled, shoveling another forkful into my mouth. As I ate, I began to take in my surroundings a little.

We were in a huge room, apparently the only one in the house. Imagine a normal, two-story house you might live in. Now take out all of the interior walls and doors, and you would pretty much get the picture. The only other two small rooms was a bathroom and another, larger room with no light inside. The wall behind me was covered in bookshelves, as well as the bed. The far wall looked to be the kitchen, the right and left were bare but for large paintings and a fireplace on either side. An arrangement of furitur was in the middle of the room, right between the fireplaces. A small staircase in one corner led to a balcony on the interior of the house, which contained a couch and a large window – the only one in the house. Light came from small, flickering orbs powered by magic – the standard lighting device in most houses. The walls and floor were black.

"So where are we in Vegas, exactly?" I asked, more to fill the gap in conversation than anything else.

"On the west side, beyond the Wall," Iris replied. "The Lotus Casino is just a few blocks away, though it is hidden to most eyes. Hyperion's palace is several miles south of here, spanning the entire south-western corner of Vegas." She met my eyes squarely. "Once you release your friends, you will need to head to the palace immediately. Your friends Bianca and Tammi are being detained there, though Tammi will soon break free. She's almost finished breaking through the bars. Then –"

"Wait! You said Tammi's there, too?" My heart, which had felt in my chest, suddenly jumped up into my throat. "But I thought she was killed!"

"No," said Iris, shaking her head. "Then you must break in and rescue the both of them. Then you must take down Hyperion."

My mouth dropped open. "No," I said. "We can't do that. We'll be destroyed. "He'll kill us all. Why would we even need to?"

"Simple," said Iris. She got up and began to make two cups of tea. "He's seen Tammi fighting against his own forces. He will suspect that Hekate is involved. If he tells Kronos, you will lose your only ally in this war, and be overcome with the might of the Titans. You need time to go to Egypt and gather allies. If the Titans are hounding you every step of the way, you will fail. Without the element of surprise when you attack, you will fail. If word gets out that you are scared to take on a Titan, you will have a harder time gathering support, and you will fail." She glanced back at me. "Do you want honey in your tea?"

"No, thanks. What support will we be able to gain?" I asked, cocking my head to one side as I weighed the advantages of her proposal. "And what will taking down Hyperion help us to accomplish?"

Iris set the tea in front of me. "Drink," she said. "It's an herbal tea. It'll help you recover." I picked it up, and, without thinking, took a gulp. A fire seemed to burn in my stomach as I doubled over coughing. "What is _in _that?" I demanded.

"Herbs. Just like I said earlier," Iris replied, a smile lighting up her face again. Then the smile disappeared as she grew serious. "If you are able to take down Hyperion, you will gain far more support. People will know you mean business. Perhaps you could have Hekate go into hiding and claim you took her down, too. If you could take down two of the most powerful Titans and destroy the government of the America, you would have accomplished enough for the people to know you can do what you're talking about." Iris sipped her tea, eyes never leaving my face. "In the end, that's what it will come down to; the support of the masses. You will have to show the people that you can do better than the Titans have done – and that won't be easy. The Titans, for the most past, do a good job of ruling."

"Politics," I said in disgust. "That's what it all comes down to." I braced myself and took another sip. But I started to feel a little stronger.

"Yes," she agreed, eyes never leaving my face. "To win this war, it will take more than brute strength. It will take cunning, strategy… and forgiveness." Her eyes pierced me like a dagger, cutting deep into my soul.

I stood up, bolting down the tea as one would a nasty medicine. "That's all well and great," I said, "but I need to get to the Lotus Casino and find my friends. Now, if that's all right."

"Oh, of course," said Iris, standing as well. "But first…"

She turned and strode into the dark room behind her, a parting "Come in" thrown over her shoulder. Unsure, I followed.

She shut the door behind me as I came in. For a moment, we were in utter blackness. And for the moment, I found myself in the Labyrinth, terrified and unsure, alone in the world. Hopeless. Forsaken. Lost.

And then Iris lit a match, and the illusion vanished, banished by the tiny flame. She touched the fire to a trough of oil, and it ignited, sending sparks cascading across the room. It was lit as the flames slowly spread, revealing the shrine.

It was similar to the temples in camp, but at the same time, utterly different. The walls were yellow stone, faded with apparent age. Faces of unfamiliar, bestial gods loomed from the murky shadows that hid behind carved pillars. Hieroglyphs were everywhere, providing mystery and a feeling of something… old. Ancient. Forgotten.

"Behold," she whispered, eyes fixed on the back wall. "The shrine of the undying gods." She walked forward, touching each head as she went. As her fingers brushed against the rough stone, she murmured a single word – presumably the name of the god.

"Ra. Osiris. Thoth. Horus." She whispered, brushing an eagle, a greenish man, a stork, and a hawk. "Sobek. Ptah. Sekmet. Hathor." A crocodile, a man, a lioness, and a cow. "Hear me, my gods. Grant my plea." The woman continued murmuring, this time in a language I did not understand. The words echoed around the wood, unable to escape its solid walls. Then she abruptly stopped, and planted her feet solidly, staring straight at a single statue, larger and more detailed than the others. A chill ran through me as I beheld it.

It was my goddess. From the crown of golden feathers to the teardrop at her throat, from her white robe to her brilliant blue eyes, it was unmistakably her. My body shuddered as my knees gave way, leaving me kneeling at Iris's feet.

"Isis," she murmured, eyes slowly traveling from the statue to my face. "The Lady of Life. The mother of us all." She lit a stick of incense and placed it before the altar, then turned to me again. "She is my namesake, and one of the most powerful of all the gods. She was the one who saved you when you fought Hyperion. And one day, you may return the favor."

She bowed to the altar, arms crossed over her chest. Then she reached down and pulled me up before leading me out of the shrine.

"Now," Iris asked, eyes half-closed, "do you understand? The both of us want to help you, Clarisse. The goddess has done her part. Now I must do mine."

She pulled a coat of a hanger on the wall and draped it around my shoulders, which were still shuddering. For the moment, my strength had deserted me. The shock of seeing the same goddess that had helped me on a wall in a temple scared me. How could we have gone so long without knowing their existence? A culture as rich and old – if not older – and we never knew it was there.

"It is time to go to the Lotus," said Isis calmly. Then she scrutinized me, and her eyes widened with apparent concern. "You aren't looking so good. Do you need another cup of tea before we go?"

I shuddered and glanced back at the shrine. "That's okay," I said. "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather drink the incense."

**A special thanks to DaughterOfHephaestus, sonofposeidon1995, Swimstar, Bee Bianca, MyPenIsSharperThanYourSword, sistersgrimm2, Cherry Chocolate Pie, Chocolate Sauce Friend of CCP, Zoë Nightshade, and Tara Liana Ni Conchuir for their reviews. I apologize (again) for the long wait. I just can never seem to get around to it by the time the day is done. Also, thanks to all readers, who have stuck with me for all this time. I hope it's been worth it!**

**~Sa Rart~**


	13. Salvation

**Year 73 of the Titans**

**Monday, April 17****th**

**Present Day**

"This is it?" I looked at Iris dubiously. Instead of the towering hotel Annabeth had once described to me, we were standing outside a deserting parking lot, looking older than the sky. Cracks ran through the pavement, and the paint was chipped and scarred. But the barbed wire fence, as well as the padlock on the gate, looked to be in pristine condition. I looked to Iris, awaiting an answer.

The girl smiled and looked at the gate with an admiring air. "The Mist is strong here, Clarisse. It is impenetrable to the mortal eyes, and even to the immortal. Only a chosen few can see the true form beyond this gate.

"Enough riddles. Tell me how to get in," I demanded. I had just about lost patience with all of this. I wanted to get into the darn Casino and get the heck out of Vegas.

Iris sighed and shook her head. "It's not that simple. To pass this gate, you must be judged by the undying spirits that guard this place. You are driven by guilt and necessity to enter the Casino, and that is why you cannot. Your emotions blind you, and hold you back. You must release them in order to enter this place."

"Yeah. I'm finding that a little hard to do at the moment," I growled.

"I know." The priestess sat down on a rock, letting loose a sigh as she did. "I can do nothing to change that. Even the Titans themselves cannot see through this illusion, blinded by their emotions as they are. None without clarity of thought and mind can enter."

"Then how the heck did my friends get in there?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"The Lotus Casino and Hotel is not as simple as you make it out to be. It has multiple faces, different forms, each one unique from the last. The first was that of a casino, a casino in which time slows down for the inhabitants. The second is an impermeable citadel. This form was not made until recently. My mother told me that it has changed over the years, from when she was a child. It was once a simple trap for the unwary traveler. Now it is much, much, more. A force more powerful and terrible than any that you have ever witnessed is utilizing this place for its own reasons, and has placed safeguards to keep it private from the rest of the world. It is those safeguards that you must now pass."

"Umm… sure," I said, a little overwhelmed by her speech. "Mind repeating that, more slowly this time?"

Iris rolled her eyes. "Clear your mind of impatience and past experiences. You must enter this place to free your friends."

"How did _they _get in?" I asked, a little put out. "Did they have to clear their minds and all that?" I seriously doubted that Percy could even begin to clear his mind, as muddled and confused as it was. I doubt even he knows what he's thinking all the time.

"Destiny called them forth," she said simply. "As it now calls you, Clarisse. Open your mind, and follow your fate!" A wind suddenly picked up, and leaves cascaded by us, whirlwinds of dirt and soil twining around our feet. Her dark hair rose in a wave of rippled ebony, brilliant blue eyes commanding. I almost shielded my eyes to protect them from the intensity in hers. Then I took a deep breath, and let go.

Later, I would not be able to recall where the mental strength to calm myself had come from. But, somehow, my mind cleared. The guilt and anger I felt was cut loose, swirling away with the winds. I raised my head and looked at the gate.

And the chains sprang away, slicing through the air as their hold was severed. The padlock clicked open, and the gate swung open. The entire area blazed with white light, blinding me for an instant. When I could see again, the entire scene had changed.

Instead of a parking lot, a wide alley now led down the way to a huge building at the end of the walkway. It was cream colored, and rose at least fifteen stories high. The doors of greenish bronze were open, and the smell of lotus blossoms suddenly filled the air. Inside, I could see arcades and games, with shadowy, indistinct figures crouched over them.

"Well done," Iris said quietly from behind me. "This is where you must forge on alone. I will be here when you come out. Whenever that may be."

"Thank you," I said. I looked at her for a long moment. I had known her for only a short time, but she had left an imprint on my soul. From her clear-sighted gaze to her gold and gems, from her lonely home and divine temple, from her wry wit and silent laughter, I had come to know her. I would miss her when it came time for me to leave.

I turned and walked into the Casino.

The first thing that really hit me was the light. It had been a grey, overcast day outside, but here, light shone from every surface. Yet try as I might, I couldn't find a single source. Not a single window opened into the outside world.

An artificial ski slope dominated the lobby, fake snow covering its surface. Next to it towered a twenty-foot high bungee jump. Beyond that stood one of the more amazing sights that I had seen in the past seventy years.

Arcade games. Hundreds upon hundreds of arcade games, just sitting there, quietly waiting. I could hardly believe my eyes. The Titans had outlawed electronic games almost six decades ago! This was impossible.

And then I remembered. Iris had told me that not even the Titans could find their way into this place. Somehow, it was shielded from the outside world. They didn't even know that it existed.

I looked around again, this time not as a casual observer, but from a military standpoint, calculating and gauging its use as a defensive fortress.

Then I saw Annabeth, and all such thoughts deserted me. She was sitting in front of a display board, patiently and painstakingly constructing an artificial city.

"Annabeth!" I strode towards her, relief filling me as, for the first time since childhood, I saw a friend.

She didn't move. She didn't react. She didn't turn. And as I got closer, I was suddenly struck with a sense of foreboding. Her hair, which she had always prided herself on keeping short and neat, was hanging halfway down her back, and was tangled and dirty. Her arms, which had always been tanned and muscled, were pale and thin. Her eyes were stark white in a dirty face streaked with grime and dust.

"Annabeth?" Hesitantly, I waved a hand in front of her face, and finally got a reaction. With startling speed, her hand snapped back and struck me across the face. I fell back hard, shocked by the blow.

Now I grabbed her and forcibly pulled her from her seat. With a growl of fury, she turned on me, knife suddenly in hand. She stabbed hard, and the knife struck me in the stomach. I doubled over in pain, releasing her. Although my armor had protected me from the blade, the sheer force of the blow had bruised me badly.

"That's it," I growled, heaving myself to my feet. I drew my spear and threw, hard. The heavy point pierced the screen, which immediately filled with static. I smiled in satisfaction.

The smile disappeared as Annabeth smashed into me, eyes wild, teeth bared. She pinned me down with one arm and drove the knife down towards my throat.

I was faster, and, seizing her by her long hair, wrenched her to the side and lashed out with a foot. The knife spun across the floor, out of her reach. Still she reached for it, grimly determined to run me through.

Steeling myself, I grabbed both of her ears, dragging her upright. For a moment, her eyes bored into mine, shrieking curses as she struggled wildly to free herself. I stared back.

Then I smashed my forehead forward, striking her just beneath the brow. Her eyes flickered, but she wasn't quite out. I repeated the motion, ignoring the pain, both physical and mental, as I struck my long-lost friend again. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she went limp. I tossed her to the floor.

What in the name of Zeus had just happened?

I looked at Annabeth, then back at the game. I reached out and pulled my spear out of the screen, then looked it over critically. No harm done. To the spear, at least, and that's what mattered.

Then I realized what had been bothering me. The Lotus Casino and Hotel. Its historical precedent had been the Lotus Eaters, the ones that Odysseus ran into. Once the crew members ate the lotus, they became addicted, so much to the point that they violently resisted any attempt to remove them.

This complicated matters.

I looked again at Annabeth. This time, I could see the reason behind paleness, the weakened limbs. It wasn't just malnutrition. It was addiction. She had been sitting at the display board for years, most likely.

Oh, wait. The time change. She had only been here about nine months, as far as she knew.

So I needed to find each and every one of my friends, knock them out, drag them outside, and hope that, when they woke up, they didn't come back in.

But the disjointed time factor meant that, for every second I spent inside the Casino, about ninety seconds passed outside. They would wake up after about an hour, so I would need to find all of my friends in twelve seconds or less, otherwise they would wake up and come back in. And I dared not leave them in the Casino. I just couldn't bring myself to knock them out, again and again as I failed to find the others in the hour I had.

This was just stupid. There was no way I could do this. The entire of the Hunt was in here, as well as that pesky know-it-all son of Hekate and the daughter of Gaia Percy had found in his last quest. Then there was Percy, Thalia, Zoe, Silena, Beckondorf… all of the greatest heroes of the age. Weakened, maybe, but still strong.

It was hopeless. I couldn't do it. I was one girl – yes, a hero – but I was up against over twenty people. I was helpless.

No. I couldn't think that way. I needed to get them out. Failure wasn't an option. There had to be a way.

Maybe some of them had somehow escaped the corruption of the Casino. If I could just get a few strong, healthy people on my side, I would have a chance.

And maybe, once I got them out, Iris would have some nasty tea that could help to make them better. She might be able to give us food, shelter.

Maybe maybe maybe. There were far too many chances I was taking here. But what choice did I have? If I failed here, the world was lost. The Titans would rule forever, and the earth would tremble under their power. We were the only ones with the power to stop them. My job was just to get them all out.

Then my heart jumped into my throat as I remembered. Back at the ranch, Eurytion had given me a bottle of tranquilizer. Did I still have it with me? Feverishly, I tore the backpack open, hoping against hope that it was still there.

My fingers closed on cool glass. I pulled it out, holding the small bottle like it was made of gold. It was my only hope now.

Kneeling, I opened Annabeth's mouth and administered a tiny amount of the liquid. Instantly, her entire body, which had been tense, still shuddering faintly, relaxed. I let out a breath of relief. Just this once, Fate had decided to be kind to me.

Tucking the bottle back into the backpack, I caught up my spear and ran into the Casino.

Now I didn't even bother trying to get them to come on their own. I just found them, snuck up behind them, and whacked them on the head before administering the drug and dumping them unceremoniously in a pile by the door.

It was hard. Not physically – I was more than strong enough to knock 'em out and carry them down, no matter where I found them. But these were my friends, people that I hadn't seen in decades. Every blow I dealt I received back tenfold as damage to my mind. Despite this, I soon found every last one of them. All of them but Beckendorf.

I sat down on an overturned arcade machine, deep in thought. He wasn't exactly the arcade playing type – but I had no idea where else I might be able to find him.

Whenever a thunderclap or other such event occurred on the ranch, the cattle would always take comfort in each other. They would come together from all corners of the pasture to mill among one another for several minutes, uncertain as to what would come next. If the disturbance stopped, they would soon return to their normal pastimes. And, right now, the son of Hephaestus was probably thinking about as clearly as a cow, thanks to the Lotus's power. So what could I do to engineer a crisis?

I rifled through the contents of my pack. It contained the orithyses coins, Hekate's energy drink, the half-empty bottle of tranquilizer, the sand dollar, the revolver, a few other changes of clothes, and a couple knives. The revolver would work, but I only had three bullets, and I hesitated to use them. Then I saw a tiny pocket at the bottom of the backpack, underneath everything else. I peeked in hesitantly.

There were about ten tiny silver globes, each less than half an inch in diameter. I reached in and lifted one out – then nearly dropped it in shock as it grew to over a foot in diameter. I instantly recognized it as a wrecking ball.

I smiled grimly. The wrecking ball was one of my favorite weapons, capable of destroying magical architecture – or, for that matter, ordinary architecture – in a single blast. Although buildings could be modified to withstand them, wrecking balls had been outlawed for over fifty years. I doubted that Hyperion's grand fortress had been built to withstand their destructive power. After all, once a wrecking ball was used, it was gone.

And yet Hekate had managed to procure not one but ten of them, magically resized to be carried without detection. Interesting. Perhaps the Titaness had her own agenda – or magic capable of acts more powerful than I would ever have dreamed.

At any rate, I had been given a chance to lure the elusive son of Hephaestus out of hiding. I had plenty of time to worry about her double agenda later. I tossed the wrecking ball in the air, watching as it soared into the air, lightweight despite the power it contained. As it reached the peak of it height, I whispered the activation word and covered my ears.

But as it exploded, time seemed to freeze, and it dropped to the ground, detonating with a paltry puff of smoke as it mechanisms failed. It deteriorated into a smoking heap on the ground. I stood stock still, not sure what had just happened.

Then, without warning, a wave of power struck me, dragging me to my knees. I struggled furiously, trying to pull away, to resist. I could not. The air hummed as energy sparkled along my body. My hair and fingernails began to grow. My armor remained strong, but the clothing underneath withered into dust.

Time, I realized. Somehow, something was speeding up time around me. My immortality protected my body, but my possessions were not protected. I twisted around, trying to see my pack. It was lying several feet away, and seemed to be untouched by the ravages of time.

The wind and the energy gradually died away, but an ominous growl echoed along the walls. I had been warned, it seemed.

Just what was this place?

I got up, and the rotted threads that were once my clothes slithered off, leaving me clad in just armor. Thank Zeus it was stainless steel, and immune to the passage of time. My fingernails were three-foot long claws, and my hair trailed down to the floor. My feet and boots had been spared.

Nonchalantly, I reached over to my pack and unsheathed one of knives. I calmly trimmed my fingernails back to their normal state. Then, with a slash of the knife, my hair returned to its close-cropped state. Then I reached into my pack, Overall, the attack had left me unharmed. But it had shaken me to my very core.

I no longer wanted anything from this place. No fortress, no haven – nothing. Something was already here, malevolent and powerful. I wasn't going to test its patience further. I just wanted to find my friends and get out.

On the bright side, the creature that had attacked had made plenty of noise, what with the howling winds and screeching vortex and all. I could use that to my advantage. I settled down to wait.

Barely a minute passed before I heard running feet. The burly son of Hephaestus slowed as he entered the lobby, scanning eyes taking in the unconscious pile in the center. I decided now was as good as any time to strike. I lunged, spear haft whirling to strike him on the back of the head.

To my shock, he whirled at the slight noise of my foot scuffing on the marble floor, and, with barely a whisper of noise, his axe was suddenly out. It deflected my blow, and, unprepared for the lack of resistance, I stumbled forward. His axe whirled around at my head with incredible speed.

I was faster, and stepped in close, too close for comfort. Instead of the blade striking me, I was hit by the wooden handle in the armored shoulder. Now we were both too close for either of our weapons to be used.

No problem – for me, at least. I was already holding a dagger in my left hand. I stabbed with the hilt towards the ribs, hoping to knock the wind out of him. Instead, he grabbed my hand, as well as the knife inside, and squeezed. The knife dropped out of my hand as the bones were ground together.

I managed to break his steely grip and step back, whirling my spear. He lowered the axe fractionally, and, seeing an opening, I lunged. As the spear neared its target, he sidestepped, grabbing the haft as he did so. With a deft twist, he pulled it from my hands.

I had grossly miscalculated. Somehow, even within the mind-sapping power of the Lotus, Beckondorf had remained strong. Even though his mind was clearly fogged, his body was as powerful as ever.

My sword now cleared its sheath as he advanced, spear and axe held at ready. He lunged, keeping at a distance thanks to the long weapons. I whirled the sword in tiny circles, managing to deflect the blows as they came. We circled each other, weapons flashing in the light of the Lotus. He remained at a safe distance, pressing me without risking damage to himself. He had the upper hand, and both of us knew it. I had to try something unexpected.

The move was one learned in a particularly vicious soccer game, eighty years ago. I had earned an ejection for a slide tackle on the other player. Now, I repeated that motion, sliding with one leg extended and the other tucked back. My sword whirled above me, blocking his swing with the axe from above. I plowed into his leg, knocking him on top of me. The sword hilt plowed into his forehead, instantly knocking him out.

I drugged him – a slightly larger dose, thanks to his size – and dumped him on the pile with everyone else. I did a quick count and confirmed that everyone was here.

Now what?

Every second I spent inside the Casino was equal to exactly one minute and four seconds in the normal world. Annabeth had told me that once. So if I managed to carry every last one of them out in just two minutes, that would be over two hours for the first one that was taken out. And the tranquilizer would only last so long. Somehow, I had to get them all out simultaneously.

I looked at the huge entrance door. Two large bronze handles rested directly on the borderline of the door. Interesting…

One by one, I stacked up the fallen heroes of ages past against the doors to the future. Right on the crack that would open the moment I willed it to. My old and faithful spear was wedged between the handles, barring it shut. Within minutes, I had every last one of them leaned up against the side of the door. I then unsheathed my sword and sawed through the top of the handles.

We were all leaning against the door now. Even though they were all unconscious, their weight was still applying force to the side of the door. The only thing holding it shut was the spear and the two handles. If the handles were suddenly removed, then the inertia of our force against the door would force it open, hopefully freeing all of us at the same time, and giving us a chance.

But if I somehow missed one of the handles, or failed to cut through them, then only a few of us would get free. The others left behind would awaken, and, if I went back to get them out, the ones left outside would wake up.

So I couldn't miss.

I unsheathed the sword and looked at it. A slim yet sturdy length of good steel. The blade was wickedly sharp, as all of my weapons were, but it was the one weapon I never really used. I liked spears for their length and use against monsters, while daggers were useful in close quarters and easy to hide. Swords were a combination of the two, containing all of the weaknesses and none of the strengths. Never before this day had my sword known the fire and glory of combat, the sickly sweet smell of spilled blood, the raw power that comes as one triumphs over the monster straight from their darkest nightmare. It was the only weapon left to me now.

I braced myself against the door, adding my own weight to the straining door. Then I raised the sword and gently ran my hand down its length, feeling for the first time the power behind the perfectly balanced weapon. Silently, I promised I would wield it now and forever if it saved me now.

Then I raised the sword and swung.

In that moment, time seemed to slow. The sword caught the unearthly light for the last time as it arced around, a neglected weapon, one that had never had the opportunity to shine until it was teetering on the brink of destruction. A weapon that had been used only once before this day. A weapon that, despite all its weaknesses, could condemn me to failure.

And, this day, it was my salvation. It sliced cleanly through the bronze handles, cutting through with a dull ringing that I felt deep in my bones. The sword, which never before had been given this chance, had saved me.

I fell, surrounded by my silent, unconscious friends, into the light of the world.

**Thanks to MyPenIsSharperThanYourSword, It was all a PUZZLE, AEthereal Devastation, Tara Liana Ni Conchuir, and ZoeNightshade2214 for their reviews. You guys – and girls – are amazing. Thanks!**

** Sorry for the wait – I hope it was worth it. Happy holidays, everyone!**

**~Sa Rart~**


	14. Promise

**Year 73 of the Titans**

**Thursday, April 29****th**

**Present Day**

"They'll take time to recover," Iris warned me, carefully pouring out cups tea. "For almost six months, they've had no exercise, little sleep, and virtually no real nutrition. I've given them my tea and your ambrosia to combat the effects, as well as a restoration infusion, but there is only so much I can do. It is neglect and lack of use that makes them weak, not merely a case of drained energy liked you were."

"How long was I in there?" I asked. "Time runs faster there, and I spent a few hours in Lotus time. How long was it out here?" How long had I left Bianca to Hyperion? Gods, let it not be too long.

"Nine days," Iris responded. She knew the reason for my question, of course, and gave me a straightforward answer, without any attempt to cover it up. I hardly noticed.

"Can you see her?" I asked Iris. "Can you tell me if she's alive?"

"I wish I could," the priestess replied, sitting down across from me. "But she is within the innermost of Hyperion's chambers; he has safeguards, and I cannot see through them. There are limits to my power, I'm afraid, just as there are to every power. However, Tammi is loose again; she skulks around the castle, not doing anything yet."

I nodded, unsurprised. Kelli had boas Hekate that nothing could cage an _empousa_; apparently, she was right. Bianca was another story. I felt a spurt of anger, remembering her cry of pain, the dragon's agony, and then, when it took flight, the helplessness that had gripped me.

"I need to get in there. _Now_," I growled, slamming my fists against the table. I hung my head for a moment, then, with difficulty, made myself look up again. "I cannot and will not leave her to Hyperion's tender mercy. He doesn't _have _any, tender or otherwise."

For a long moment, Iris looked at me, brilliant eyes piercing my soul. Then she nodded. "I understand."

"Do you." It wasn't a question, despite the wording. She had no idea of the raging whirlwind of emotions weighing heavy on my soul.

Iris cast her gaze to the high heavens in exasperation, then fixed me with her eyes. "You were confident when you entered the city. For nigh on seventy years, you trained for this moment. You had a magic spear given to you by a goddess, an otherworldly ally, and a daughter of death at your side. You _knew_ that whatever Hyperion threw at you, you could take it. Now, you think your arrogance has ended in the capture of Tammi and Bianca. You want to go get them under your protection, because when you left your friends at Camp Half-Blood to pursue Hekate, they were all killed. Your ancient guilt makes you unreasonable, and your newfound shame born from your failure makes you reckless. These people have done nothing but eat junk food and play video games for _months_, Clarisse. They are unprepared and ill suited to take on a Titan. You must not let Hyperion's power take root in you. He plays with emotions, making your fear and doubt grow – which you try to overcompensate for using recklessness and hate. Your emotion is open to me Clarisse, and I tell you that you will _not _assault Hyperion now. You are doomed to failure and death – you, your friends, and all of the two billion people in the world that depend on you to free them, whether they know it or not. What about the gods? What about the heart of the West, the torch that can never die while we live? What about the fragile flame of hope, flickering faintly deep within the heart of men? There is so much more at stake here than your own emotions, Clarisse. Open your eyes and see it!"

There was no defense that I could mount, nothing I could say, nothing I could do, to counter her argument. Every word of it was right. But I could not leave Bianca.

"You're right." I looked down at the ground, closing my eyes as despair threatened to destroy me. "We can't assault the fortress." I looked up and saw the relief in her face, and I felt so bad I nearly didn't say the next words. "So we'll have to find another way."

Anger and exasperation filled her face. "You don't have the numbers or the firepower to attack the fortress. He has three and a half thousand mortal troops, a hundred Laistragonians, a hundred and fifty spawn of Tartarus – hellhound to you – and forty-eight dragons, Clarisse. You fought and lost against just one. Then, guarding his inner chambers, he has two Aetheopian _drakons_, Clarisse. Then, if by some miracle you can get past them, you have Hyperion himself. You already tried fighting him, and it is only by the grace of the goddess that you lived. You have no hope of getting anywhere _near_ winning this battle or this war if you attempt to attack him tonight." Iris delivered the final sentence with finality.

"Where are the troops?"

Iris was taken completely by surprise. "What?"

I started rolled my eyes, then reminded myself of all Iris had done for me and my friends. "Where are the troops situated? Inside, outside, on the roofs, on the ground, hanging by their necks on the wall – where are they?"

Iris frowned, and for a moment, her gaze was very far away. Then she seemed to return to herself. She rummaged within the drawers of her desk and came out with a quill and pen. She dipped the quill in ink, then drew a series of three concentric circles. She labeled them 1, 2, and fortress, then sketched a long line a few inches away from wall 1. "Three thousand mortal troops are camped between the first two walls here," she said. "They have a watch at all times of the night, and have for much of the past week – ever since you arrived. The Laistragonians are atop the second wall, and are all expert archers. Not like they really need to be – their arrows are six feet long and poisoned. If you get hit by one, you're probably going to die. Within the second wall, there is a small mountain – no more than two hundred feet high. Atop it is the citadel of Hyperion – a fortress. The door is roughly thirty feet high, to allow for couriers on pegasi and dragons to enter. Inside are a hundred expert swordsman. Then there is the main castle, filled with staff, cooks, and government officials. Within the inner part of the castle is Hyperion's sanctuary. In a chamber that surrounds it are the spawn and the drakons. Then, within a series of rooms inside, Hyperion lives. Why does it matter?"

"Just a thought. I need Annabeth; where's Annabeth?" I spotted her on the upstairs balcony, along with Percy, Silena, and two members of the Hunt.

"Clarisse, she's sleeping. Why do you need her?" Iris rose to her feet and reached out to grab my arm, but I sidestepped.

"Annabeth," I said, stepping over a few huntresses, "is a daughter of Athena." In my effort not to trip on Cassandra, I stepped on Beckendorf's hand, and quickly got off. Apparently, he didn't notice – a fact that I was grateful for. "She is also a brilliant tactician and strategist –" I made a pirouetting leap over Phoebe, nearly landed on Zoë, and barely managed to avoid her and Soaron next to her. "– and if anyone can find a way in, it will be her.

Iris shook her head. "With thirty boys and girls, no siege weapons, no allies, and no prior knowledge of the castle, no one can figure a way in. It isn't a question of intelligence or tactics, but of the sheer impossibility of it."

"And, by the way, you're wrong," I said. I reached the stairs and started up towards the balcony. "I have nine wrecking balls with me. How's that for a siege weapon?"

Iris looked at me like I was crazy. "A wrecking ball is a three-thousand-pound steel sphere that you dangle from a crane with a very thick chain. Then you rotate the crane, and the giant metal ball slams into whatever happens to be in the way. There's no way that you could even carry one, let alone use it – there's no cranes within a thousand miles."

"That's a mortal wrecking ball," I replied. "Our wrecking balls are magically exploding steel globes that take down buildings. They're much more efficient and easy to carry."

I reached the bed and tapped Annabeth on the shoulder lightly. She turned in her sleep, muttering. "Annabeth?" Abruptly, her eyes snapped open, startlingly gray against the white sheets and garments Iris had garbed all of them in. "Clarisse?" she murmured sleepily. "What are you doing in my cabin?"

I grinned, glad to see her back to her normal state of mind rather than the wild-eyes suicidal maniac she had been back in the Lotus. "I'm not, silly. You just left the Lotus Casino and Hotel. Remember?"  
"Lotus…" She frowned, thinking through the fog of sleep. "But we were only there for a few weeks…"

Well, there was no need to beat around the bush. "It's been a lot more than a few weeks," I said, brutally honest. "It's been about seventy years. Welcome back," I added as an afterthought.

"_What_?" She sat up, fast. One of her arms hit Percy full in the face, and he yelped in pain and surprise, instantly awake. "_Annabeth?_" he asked in disbelief. "What are you doing in my bed?" Then he flushed beet red as he realized the implications of what he had said. There was an awkward moment of silence until I broke in.

"Go back to sleep, Percy. You'll need it." I gently grabbed Annabeth by her shoulders and lifted her out of bed, ignoring her involuntary exclamation of surprise. I turned and walked towards the stairs. I heard a scrabbling behind me, and looked back in annoyance. Apparently, Percy was coming. He glared at me, defying me to challenge his right to come. I merely turned and walked down the stairs, trailing a bewildered Annabeth and a surprised Percy.

"Where are we, exactly?" Percy asked. He didn't sound like he expected an answer. Then again, he hadn't seen me change. To him, I was still the aggressive, violent fanatic I had been before. But I was nowhere near that person now.

"Las Vegas," I replied. "In the house of Iris." He opened his mouth, and I answered his question before he answered. "Not the rainbow goddess – Iris is a priestess of Isis, an Egyptian goddess. Don't ask – she'll answer much better than I will.

We delicately picked our way around the masses of sleeping people to Iris's table again. She raised one eyebrow at the sight of Percy, but didn't say a word of challenge.

"Welcome, young heroes," she said formally, tilting her head in a gesture of respect. "Come – we have much work to do."

Annabeth sat, still looking confused, but Percy remained standing, staring at Iris suspiciously. "Who are you, exactly?" he asked skeptically.

I was half-afraid Iris would take offense, but she just smiled. "I am Iris, priestess of Isis – the Egyptian goddess of life. I am your only ally in this war as of now. _You _are Perseus Jackson – though you prefer Percy – the son of Poseidon, who was once the god of the sea. Your name is spoken with awe, respect, and fear throughout the continents, by friends and enemies that you shall never meet. You are remembered as the greatest fighter of the Fifth Age – sorry, Clarisse, but it's true – and one of the greatest opponents of Kronos, but you are believed to be dead. This is no longer your world, Jackson. This is the Sixth Age, the second Age of the Titans, over eighty years after your birth. Like it or not, you need my help. Sit." She patted the seat, and he obediently sat. It took great effort on my part to suppress the grin that rose at the sight of Percy being humbled by the Egyptian priestess. Instead, I turned to Annabeth.

"Okay, Annabeth, we need you to find a way into the fortress of Hyperion, locate a captured prisoner, free her, kill Hyperion and banish his essence to the depths of Tartarus, and erase the effects of his brainwashing from the past few decades on the people and remind them of the fallen gods. Any questions?"

Annabeth looked overwhelmed. "Um… could you repeat that?"

I went to repeat myself, but Iris cut me off. "Let's not overwhelm the girl. Let her take her time about this. Just take it one step at a time."

"Sure," I said, leaning back in my chair. "There's no need to rush. After all, we have a full…" I glanced at the clock. "…twelve hours to prepare."

Iris shot me a smoldering glare. "We shouldn't be trying to break in for the next few weeks, let alone the next twelve hours!"

I shrugged. "Fair enough. But we have to get in as soon as possible, before Hyperion remembers that we're still here and tries to kill us."

The priestess snorted in disdain. "He's been searching the city for the past week that you were gone. Don't worry – his men already checked my house while you were in the Lotus. I'm actually very annoyed with him right now – the men took several small items of value. If, while you're pillaging the castle, you come across a small golden balance, please bring it to me – I had a use in mind for it already."

"Sure," I said. "Annabeth? How can we destroy Hyperion? Remember, we have to do it in a way that people don't think is brutal or fanatical."

"What troops does he have?" Annabeth asked. I noted the straightening of her back and the confidence that reentered her voice and body. She was now doing something that she knew she was good at.

Iris repeated the figures, and Annabeth frowned. "Where does he keep the dragons?" she asked.

"There is a concrete wall, one that divides the city into the main part and Hyperion's part, about a mile away from the first wall. It's about a hundred feet high, and the only way through is to go through a gate set in the center portion. The dragons live in hollows dug into the stone."

"How do they alert the dragons to an invasion?" I asked. "If it's really so far away, it seems as though it would be difficult to call them to help.

Iris indicated the citadel. "At the top of the castle, there are two towers. Inside are giant brass bells. When they ring, it'll wake the whole city."

Abruptly, Annabeth sat back again in the chair. "It's impossible," she said. "The entire defense is just too coordinated. The minute we begin our attack, the dragons are called in, and then it's all over. It would take all of us just to defeat one, let alone them all."

"We could kill the bell ringers," suggested Percy.

"Of course," said Annabeth. "How could I overlook that? We could magically fly to the tower, teleport through barred windows, and kill the men in their sleep. You're right, Percy. If you can find out a way to destroy the fortress, Seaweed Brain, by all means, do so. Be my guest." She stood up and began to walk away.

Percy, for a moment, just sat there, stunned by her fury. Then he shrugged it off. "Hey. Wise Girl," he called softly, only half-teasingly. "I spoke to your mother once, you know."

Annabeth stopped walking away, but she didn't turn around.

"It was in the basement of the Hoover Dam, and I was trapped by undead soldiers," Percy continued. "She was disguised as a tour guide, and, just as she left, she told me something. _There is always a way for those clever enough to find it._"

Annabeth turned to glare at him. "Athena is dead, gone, and rotting in Tartarus. Guess she wasn't clever enough, then. What would that make me – a girl with just half the divine blood that ran through her veins?"

"She was plenty clever." Percy shook his head, smiling slightly. "She found a way to save herself and the Fifth Age – us. _All _of us." With a gesture, he indicated the entire room. "We have to honor that."

Annabeth hesitated. Then, with a hiss of exasperation, she sat back down, picked up the paper, and began to study it again.

"Think out loud," Iris told her. "Then the rest of us can help. It isn't just your burden to bear."

"Uh-huh," Annabeth replied, not looking away from Iris's paper.

"Despite what Janus and Morpheus say to the contrary."

Annabeth's mouth dropped open, forming a perfect O. She stared at Iris, shock in her face. "How… you… how could you know?"

"I can see various aspects of the present," Iris replied. "I can see virtually anything within ten miles, and can see your thoughts and emotions to some degree from a few feet away."

"O-kay," said Percy. "That's kind of weird." I sent him a glare that would've curdled milk, and he hastily revised his statement. "I mean, our Oracle could glimpse the future, and demigods can sometimes dream about past events… but I've never heard about someone seeing the present."

"Obviously," said Iris, "There's a lot you don't know. For example, you did not know that the Titans rule this world, and that your own culture was not the only one with gods still active today. And you do not know, as of now, that one lost in a land without rain has since been found."

In an instant, Percy was on his feet, green eyes blazing with inner fire. "Bianca? Bianca di Angelo is alive?" Anguished hope filled his face.

"Yes," I whispered. He turned to look at me, and I bowed my head, unable to meet his gaze. Unable to watch as I crushed the hope that he had. "She… was captured by the Titans." I took a deep breath and turned to look at him. "It was my fault. I'm so sorry." I fought to hold back tears as I waited for the anger and the blame that would inevitably come.

Hesitantly, Percy put a hand on my shoulder. "She's better off alive and in captivity than gone and lost in the Underworld. After all, I couldn't take care of her any better than you did." Despite the gentleness in his voice, I could sense the frustration underneath.

"You've changed," I told him. "Before, you would have said anything that ran through your head, and never thought about anything before you did it. You were never so… so eloquent, so charismatic, before."

"All of you have changed," Iris said simply. "Seventy years can do that, whether you felt the passage or not. But we need to stay on topic – according to Clarisse, we need to break in tonight." A trace of bitterness remained in her voice.

"Yes," I said. "Bianca's been in there for a week; that's already too long. I'm not waiting any longer."

"A _week_?" Percy looked shocked – and angry. "You've left Bianca to the Titans for a whole week? What have you been _doing_?"

I did my best to fight down my anger, mostly because he was right. "Saving your sorry necks from the Casino, that's what."

"Oh. Sorry."

A snort from Annabeth. "So much for eloquence and charisma," she muttered, a trace of a smile curling the corner of her mouth.

"Hey!" protested Percy.

"Seaweed Brain."

"If you're so –"

"All right, enough," I said, breaking into their squabble. "Don't make _me _resort to old habits, too, and start breaking things. Like heads. C'mon – we have to figure out a way in." We all bent over the little piece of paper again.

For over an hour, we tried to figure out a way to just break our way through the outer wall and into the castle. We failed at every turn. Annabeth wanted to try and tunnel in, but the time factor and the risk of discovery made it impossible. Iris suggested we try to destroy the dragon's wall before we attacked the main fortress, but Annabeth used a few physics equations and found it to be impossible with just nine wrecking balls. My personal favorite was Percy's idea; he suggested outfitting ourselves with parachutes and catapulting ourselves in – but his enthusiasm waned when we reminded him of the archers.

"It's just the dragons that are the problem," Percy commented tiredly. "If we could just break into the fortress somehow, we could hold off the dragons and destroy Hyperion. But they just lock everything down. We can't do anything with fear of them flying in and torching the whole place."

"There are no known weaknesses of a dragon," murmured Annabeth. "Many have soft patches in their scales that can be a tender spot, but it varies on every one of them. There's no universal point to be exploited."

A yawn from behind us sounded as one of the Huntresses began to stir. Iris, with a sigh of weariness, stood. "They should probably sleep more," she murmured. "It'll quicken their recovery." She walked to the still-warm teapot and began to pour out the potent mixture.

"Wait," I said as she began to carry it out. "Don't give it to Zoë, Beckendorf, or Soaron. Let them wake up, and then let's all move into the temple, that way the others can sleep."  
Iris nodded agreement. "Now let go," she ordered, rapping my hand with the ladle. I let go, wincing at the heat of the metal.

"Unnecessary," I grumbled. Iris raised an eyebrow, then turned and continued towards my sleeping friends. I watched her for a moment, then turned to Percy. "Come on – give me a hand with the table. Annabeth, grab some chairs." Together, we walked into the temple of the gods that were not ours, hunched under the weight of our burden, in a city ruled by our enemies to whom our fathers had fallen.

It was several minutes before Iris rejoined us, leading a half-asleep Beckendorf, a grumpy Soaron, and Zoë. Believe me when I say you _never _want to run into any of those three in a dark alley.

It took another few minutes to explain our predicament to them. All three stared blankly for a moment at the diagram.

"Great," commented Soaron. "Can I go back to bed now?"

I rolled my eyes. "No – we need you here right now." As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Giving the smart-aleck demititan an opportunity to poke fun was never a good idea.

"You _need _me? Oh, well, that changes everything," he replied, all wide-eyed innocence. "Then again, it's nothing new. You always seem to need something from me."

"Shut up," I replied eloquently. "Or I can and will stick your head into a trough of burning oil. We have too little time for sarcasm."

"Getting _nasty_, aren't you?" the mage replied. "And there's always time for sarcasm." Despite his comment, he sat and began to inspect the paper more closely.

"The main problem is the dragons," Annabeth explained. "They're called once Hyperion's men ring the bells, and we're having a hard time stopping that. Is there any way that you could silence the bells, or kill the dragons?"

"Nope," he replied instantly. "The only way to stop sound that _I _know of is to create a vacuum. I can't do that. And even if I could, I wouldn't be able to limit the area of it, and I would suffocate us all. And then we would all die," he added, somewhat unnecessarily. I eyed him with annoyance. The boy was just as insufferable as I remembered, not really interested in anything but surviving for himself and making fun of other people. I hated magic, anyways; it reminded me too much of the Labyrinth. He continued. "And I have no idea how to stop the dragons. I never really cared about them – the only education _I _needed about them is how fast I needed to run to get away.

"How fast?" Percy asked, somewhat interested.

"Faster than I really want to ever run," the boy retorted. "I generally would try and stay far enough away that I didn't _have _to run. I hate running."

"What about you, Beckendorf?" I asked, eager to move the conversation along. "Is there any machine that you know that could help us here?"  
Beckendorf inspected the paper. He hadn't originally been deemed worthy to enter the Lotus with the other heroes; he had been left outside. But he led a rebellion with Silena against Hekate about seven years after the gods had fallen; she had though him powerful, and stuck both him and Silena into the Casino with the others. Still, he was now twenty-three, and about six-eight. I had to crane my neck just to see his face.

"I could build catapults or ballistas, but they don't really work as well against large numbers of monsters," he replied. "Besides, I don't have the ground crew to handle them. Unless you have a bunch of bronze on hand; then I could build some automatons." Beckendorf looked at Iris hopefully, but she shook her head ruefully. He shrugged. "Or we could try to assault where they live. In the wall, you said? How big is it?"

Annabeth sighed. "Too big for that, unfortunately," she replied. "It's over a mile long."

Beckendorf shrugged. "How do they get out?" he asked. "Is it like a door, or just a big hole? I invented this little device that can hold pretty much any door shut; it sends two feet of bronze cable into any surface, and they have prongs to hold it shut. If the dragons have doors on their hollows, I could keep them in."

Iris shook her head. "I don't think they know what a door _is_," she replied. "There's just a big cave that they go in and out of."

"Not much I can do with that," he replied. "If we had bronze cable, then I could weave it into a net – but you said we don't have bronze?" he asked Iris again, as if hoping for a different answer.

"We don't have bronze, and we don't have time for that, either," I replied. "Stringing bronze nets over dragon caves would take us the whole night, and then, in the morning, they would just take them down. Zoë? Do you have any ideas?" I turned to her hopefully.

Of all of us, Zoë had changed the most. Since being brought back from the Underworld, she was much quieter, less regal, less outgoing, and less confident, both in herself and others. All these qualities had been replaced by timidity, shyness, but also a bit more caring and respect for others. In addition, when Lady Artemis re-offered her the position of the lieutenant of the Hunt, she turned it down, preferring mortality, for whatever reason. She no longer wore the silvery garb of a huntress, instead wearing battered leather armor over her clothes. Instead of the superior bow and arrows the Hunt carried, she was armed with a simple yew bow and carried a celestial bronze longsword for protection. I hardly had recognized her as Zoë when she returned with the quest to camp after the Underworld. The one thing that hadn't changed was her accuracy with the bow. That and her style of talking, of course.

"All of the ideas mentioned have spoken only of killing or holding back the dragons," she said quietly. "Remember, the lifestyle that they live right now is not one that a dragon prefers. They have forty-nine other dragons competing for their territory, a cruel master, probably no fresh food, and little freedom to do as they wish. Why should they like Hyperion any more than we do? It could easily be that they hate him, and are more than willing to fight him instead of us." She glanced around at us, trying to see what we though of her idea. I nodded encouragingly.

"We're listening," I told her.

And beneath the silent statues of the forgotten gods, we planned the fall of the Titans. Beyond us lay the stronghold of all strongholds, the mightiest fort any of us had ever seen. Within dwelled one of the most powerful and evil immortals ever to walk this earth.

But by our power and by our strength, he would fall.

**Six months have passed since I last wrote. Six whole months. I apologize deeply for that, and I sincerely hope that you guys never have to wait that long again. This story just has a few more chapters before it draws to its end. Thanks, all of you, for your reading and for your reviews. A special thanks to Little Miss Hades, ZoeNightshade2214, AEthereal Devastation, It was all a PUZZLE, stormier, ..girls, Son of Poseidon9546, and Jinx the Revolving Lime for their reviews! Sorry I didn't reply to all of them – I hope to this chapter. Have a good summer, everyone, and hopefully, you'll hear from me again very soon.**

** ~Sa Rart**


	15. Awakening

**Year 73 of the Titans**

**Friday, April 30****th**

**Present Day**

"You're kidding."

It was just a few hours before dawn. Our entire force – consisting of twenty-seven hunters, eight heroes, and Iris – was assembled at the foot of the immense concrete wall that housed the dragons. Also present was a twenty-foot long crossbow on wheels – one of Beckendorf's newest toys. It was also the cause for my recent exclamation.

"Nope," replied Beckendorf cheerfully. With a grunt of effort, he drew back the thick chord that served as the bowstring and notched it under the bolt. "Believe me; I've done this tons of times. As soon as the bolt hits stone, the barb emerges and digs into the rock and holds steady. This here cable –" Here he patted a thick, steel-clad rope. "– will be the string. It has rungs, like a ladder, so you climb up. Simple as that."

I eyed the thin cable suspiciously. "It's too small," I said warily. "It won't be strong enough to hold all three of us."

"It's steel cable," he explained patiently. "It's what the Golden Gate Bridge is made of. It can hold up to four thousand pounds – and I seriously doubt you weigh that much." I glared at him, searching for sarcasm, but he kept his face straight as he double-checked the crossbow – or, as he called it, "ballista". "All set," he said. Then, without warning, he turned the release, and the bolt shot into the air like a rocket, trailing the steel cable. There was a resounding metallic _chink_ as the bolt struck home in the thick stone wall. Beckendorf tested the cable, tugging hard. It held. "See?"

"Time to go, then," murmured Zoë. She craned her neck, looking up at the dark cave that awaited us. "This will not be fun."

"Scared of heights?" asked Thalia, not without sympathy. With surprising vehemence, Zoë glared at the lieutenant of the Hunt.

"I am _not_!" she snapped. "I… just have bad experiences with mountains and dragons." Abruptly, her face shut down, leaving it an expressionless mask. "Let's go," she said, and began to cautiously climb the makeshift ladder we had made. Thalia, bewildered by the vehement reaction shrugged helplessly.

"You an go next," Soaron told me, gesturing to the ladder.

"I go last," I said. "That way, if you fall, I can listen to your scream the entire way down." At the moment, I was just about done listening to the boy's complaints; over the past few days, I had heard more than enough of them.

"Touchy, touchy," he drawled. "And here I was, trying to be nice to you, for a change. So much for the entire idea of karma." With a world-weary sigh, he started up the ladder.

"You are still letting Hyperion affect you," Iris murmured in my ear. "You must let go of your emotions. They cloud your judgment." I hadn't even heard her approach.

"Okay," I said, more to get rid of her than anything else. She could see that, of course, but at the moment, I didn't really care. I was about to enter to enter a dragon's cave in preparation to storm a fortress, and she was worried about me making fun of the annoying mage. Go figure. I began to climb.

Quickly, I caught up to Soaron, who slowly and laboriously continued the climb, grumbling the entire way. I rolled my eyes, resisting the temptation to attempt to brush past him. There wasn't enough room – although I could just knock him off. Then there would be one less annoying smart-aleck forever whining about irrelevant extravagances.

Huh. Maybe Iris was more right about Hyperion's influence than I liked to admit.

Finally, after what seemed like endless hours of climbing, we reached our destination: the greatest yawning pit of darkness that ever existed outside of Tartarus. Inside, I knew, dwelled the largest of all of the dragons Hyperion kept. Zoë waited for us at the top of the cable.

"Ready?" she whispered, eyes glowing catlike in the light of the moon.

"No," Soaron grumbled. "Can I go down now?"

"Quit being such a baby," I muttered. Then, to Zoë, I answered. "Of course."

"Just tie up the handler, _silently_. Waking the dragon up would be a very bad idea," she reminded us.

"Please – would we really be such idiots?" asked Soaron sarcastically. "Would we really be so stupid as to climb two hundred feet into the air, walk into a dragon's cave, then attempt to convert it to our cause? Oh, wait – that _is _what we're up here to do."

"Your attempt at humor is ill-appreciated and a waste of precious time," Zoë hissed, glaring down at the insufferable boy. "Waking the dragon _before _its regular user is subdued will end up in two people trying to order it around. If we do that, it will be confused – and when they're confused, they tend to destroy thing. Just get him out of the picture as quickly and as quietly as possible. Understood?"

"It was understood the first eight times you explained it," Soaron retorted.

Without another word, the girl leapt into the cave, graceful as a gymnast. Her cloth-padded boots made little noise on the cold stone ground.

"Show-off," Soaron mumbled, and, with a grunt of effort, heaved himself into the cave. I followed, doing my best to keep quiet.

The immense form before me was only the third dragon I'd seen in my life, so I guess I wasn't much of an expert. But I didn't need to be an expert in order to be amazed at the sight before me. The dragon that had taken Bianca was at least thirty feet long; this one was twice that, if not more, with an additional thirty feet of tail trailing behind it. The scales looked to be black in the faint light of the stars. Its shuddering breath alone seemed to shake the walls – and that was hardly the greatest of its weapons. The claws and spikes were honed to a deadly point, glittering like metal. It took me a moment to realize it _was _metal. Someone had taken the time and trouble to sheath the bone claws and spikes in the finest quality of stainless steel, making it sharper than it could ever be in its natural state.

"It's asleep, thank the gods," breathed Zoë, so softly I could hardly hear. "Go. I'll take care of him.

In the back of the cave, there was a door in the rock wall. Iris had told us that the dragon's keepers slept close at hand, always ready to tend to their dragon's needs or to respond to a sudden alarm.

Silently, Soaron eased the door open. Inside, a single candle burned, giving light to a room that otherwise would've been pitch black. It illuminated a small bed, a nightstand, a table, and a chair. I closed the thick door shut behind us, then brought my spear up to point at the man sleeping on the bed. I glanced at Soaron, a mere silhouette in the darkness. He nodded once, and I closed my eyes.

Abruptly, the room was light by bright light, light that pierced even behind my closed eyes. From the bed, there was a startled grunt as its occupant awoke. I opened my eyes, ignoring the tears that blurred them from the brightness, and placed my speartip atop the man's collarbone. He froze, the only movement the blinking of his eyes as he futilely tried to clear them.

"Hello, friend," Soaron said, casual but quiet. "Stay silent, and you will live. Make noise or resist, and you will die. It's that simple. Now, slowly stand and raise your hands above your head."

The man, shocked into compliance, slowly rose. He was a big man – over six feet tall – and powerfully built, muscles straining at his shirt sleeves. He had a sharp, clever face – but the only emotion present at the moment was utter terror.

"Remember," Soaron whispered. "Only silence will see you through the life. Don't make us come back and kill you – I really hate having to kill a fellow human. It's not you we're after. It's Hyperion." The boy waved a hand, and the man's pillowcase wrapped around his wrists and hands in a tangled bundle, knotting itself at the ends. Soaron drew his knife and laid it against the man's forehead. "Clarisse?"

I grabbed the sheet and tore it into strips, thick enough to be strong, but not thick enough to be uncomfortable. I knotted it around his ankles, and then bound his wrists to his bedpost. Then I took his dagger and sword, rendering him effectively helpless. I glanced at Soaron, intrigued. The obnoxious, whiny brat who I had been living with was gone. Instead, he was cool, calm, and dangerous. It was like he was a completely different person.

_Are we all capable of such change when we need it_?

"Gag him," Soaron said. "We can't have him screaming an alarm." I nodded and wound another strip around his head. Before I could slip it into his mouth, however, he began to talk.

"He'll kill you," the man told us with utter conviction and terror. "He'll kill you, then he'll kill me, and then he'll kill his men for failing him. Then, if he's in a bad mood, he'll go out into the city and kill more people for not warning him of an attack. Just walk away, and you'll save hundreds of lives. I won't say a thing about you coming here. Just leave, and it'll be better for everyone."

Something of the raw fear in his voice and body made me hesitate. Then, abruptly, I made a decision. Kneeling down, I looked at the man, my calm gaze meeting his wild one.

"Listen to me well, dragonkeeper," I whispered. "We aren't as weak as we look. My name is Clarisse, daughter of Ares – a demigod." Frantic, he tried to pull away, but his bonds prevented him. He opened his mouth to scream, but Soaron pressed the dagger harder against his head. "_Listen to me!_ We are not the monsters you have been taught that we were. We have come to end Hyperion's reign and all of the terror he reaps upon you. We have no ill wish to you or any other human in this city. But, for now, you are still Hyperion's servant, and we cannot trust you just yet – so I'm afraid this is necessary." I drew the gag around his mouth, fastening it securely. "Just stay still, and this won't be too unpleasant," I told him. "We'll be back in the morning, and you will be a free man."

Together, Soaron and I turned, walking out the door.

"What if we lose?" Soaron muttered.

"We won't lose," I replied, gently shutting the door to the dragonkeeper's room. I turned – and stopped dead.

Through the darkness of the cave came a breath of hot wind, carrying with it the stench of rotting meat. A single blue eye opened in the darkness, glowing with inner flame like the flames of Tartarus.

The dragon was awake.

"Meet our new friend." Zoë's voice came from above us. We looked up to see Zoë perched atop the dragon's back, gently pressing one hand against the creature's neck. "You took care of the keeper?"

"Yes," I said. "For next time – if there is one – a little heads up on the dragon would have been great. You nearly scared me to death."

"Why?" Zoë asked, sounding genuinely puzzled. "We came here to wake the dragon."

I rolled my eyes. "It's still a little unexpected to turn around and find a fifty-foot behemoth breathing down our necks."

"This is Arsivis," Zoë told us, blithely ignoring my comment. "He is an eighty –year-old male, born just before the death of the gods. He has lived here ever since – but he hates having to share territory with the other dragons. He has agreed to help us break into the fortress. Get on."

"Umm… get on _how_?" I asked, eyeing the massive creature,

I heard the exasperation in her voice as she replied. "Start at the tail and use the spikes to climb up. Do not cut thy hands on the blades – they are sharp."

"Will he be strong enough to carry all of us?" I asked, inching my way up the dragon's back. "We're a lot of extra weight."

Zoë snorted in derision. "Dragons are not bound by the same laws we are. All dragons are capable of defying the bond to Gaia that keeps all other beings earthbound. If the need arises, they can make themselves lighter, making it far easier to take off. Our dragon will have no trouble carrying us all."

Before I could answer, the dragon leapt into the air. I clung to the spike with all my strength, thankful for the steel gauntlet that protected my hands from the plate covering it. We drifted down to easily land right next to the startled group of our army.

"Climb on," Zoë ordered the group on the ground. "We have much work to do."

**Thanks to stormier and to ZoeNightshade2214 for their reviews. But, people, seriously? Two of you managed to take two minutes in order to write a little comments. It's summer vacation for most of you! You should have plenty of time for it!**

** Anyway… my little rant is over now. Next update will be here, today or tomorrow. Until then!**

** ~Sa Rart**


	16. Freedom

**Year 73 of the Titans**

**Friday, April 30****th**

**Present Day**

The Greek myths are unlike any other stories ever told upon the earth. Mere stories of the dwellers of Tartarus can chill any person to the bone. The memory of these living nightmares can wake you up in the night, screaming and swearing and pleading all at the same time. But more terrifying than any other is a dragon. There is simply nothing on or under the earth that is anything like one.

Our chosen steed was black, a shadow of death in the darkened night. All thirty-five of us clutched at the steel-covered spikes, but such was the strength of the beast that it still managed to stay aloft, huge wings beating steadily and strongly.

It was still a few hours before dawn, so we blended in perfectly with the dark sky. Hyperion's men were not nearly so intelligent. Torches burned along the length of the wall, completely ruining the men's night vision. Aside from the flickering fires of the torches far below us, the only light came from the moon and the stars.

We swooped over the wall designed to keep us out without even slowing. Our aim was the two immense bell towers designed to call the dragons out from their home in the wall. And, thanks to Hekate, we had the perfect weapons to do so.

"Ready?" Zoë called back to me softly. I nodded, concentrating on the wrecking ball in my hand and my distant target.

"Ready."

Then we swooped up to the immense tower, circling around the uppermost part. I stood, trusting Beckendorf and Percy to hold me steady, and tossed the small steel ball into the interior of the tower. We swooped away, and I whispered the activation word.

The tower exploded, pieces of stone flying everywhere. Cries of alarm sounded, and I knew we had to act quickly, before they rang the other bell. The dragon swooped down again, and I tossed my second wrecking ball.

The bell let out a single toll before the wrecking ball exploded, taking down the tower and the bell, falling onto the roof of the palace.

Now the guard was well and truly roused, ready to fight. But they were scared after seeing the explosions without any visible cause. They couldn't see us, and they had no idea what was happening. We took that opportunity to attack.

The dragon dove, and, suddenly, the outer wall was directly below us. The dragon let out a burst of destruction, setting dozens of tents alight with bright flame. There were cries of pain as the fire quickly began to spread among the mortal troops – but we had already flown on. We had no quarrel with the mortals; we just needed to keep them occupied fighting the fires until we were finished inside.

The second wall was a different matter. Laistragonian archers covered it, and all of them were aiming at us, now visible as a silhouette against the dancing flames. But before they could fire, the dragon let loose another devastating barrage of fire, lighting half a dozen giants alight and half-blinding the others. The dragon landed on the wall for a moment, lashing out with its steel-covered claws. The closest monsters staggered backwards, while the unfortunate target of its attack fell, clutching at a mortal wound in its stomach. A few shots were fired, but they bounced off the dragon's hard scales. It responded with another raging torrent of fire, and something screamed. Then we were off again, heading towards the door to the fortress.

We were still rising, and the fortress loomed above us. Behind me, I heard Soaron chanting, and energy began to pulse around the doors. Now the gate loomed before us, and still they did not open. I glanced back at Soaron, who had faltered in his chant; now, he frantically tried to finish it, faster and faster, but never quite fast enough –

With a yell, Zoë grabbed the dragon's neck and pulled it hard to the side, and the dragon turned, a wing scraping harshly against the metal door. It let out a guttural snarl of pain, but continued to turn, following Zoë's touch.

Soaron hadn't been able to open the gates in time. I had never really felt time's power, tucked away in the Texas ranch, immortal to its strength. Maybe that was why I hadn't really considered the effects it might have upon my friends.

The Laistragonians had recovered from our first attack, and sent a volley our way. They had trouble seeing us, dark as the night was; they, however, were silhouetted against the flames.

"Hunt, open fire!" called Thalia. She brought up her bow and fired, adding to the deadly rain of arrows. Laistragonians fell, but not enough. Ten or so fell; thirty arrows had been fired. The Hunt had lost its deadly accuracy that I remembered so well from days gone by.

I had miscalculated badly. Never would I have guessed how weakened my friends would be. I had failed them. I had ignored Iris, too caught up in Bianca's imprisonment to heed her advice.

But it was too late now. If we left, our dragon would be left to die, and then Hyperion would track us down and kill us all. This was our one and only chance to attack, and I had wasted it. But now, our only choice was to attack and hope against hope that we could triumph.

"Soaron, get the gates open. I don't care how – just get the Tartarus-spawned door open!" I ordered. Turning, I called to Zoë, "Fly closer to the wall!"

She glanced back, confused. "That'll bring us closer to the archers. They'll cut us to pieces!"

"Just do it!"

For a moment, the girl hesitated. Then, she obeyed, and we surged towards the wall. Huge arrows shot past us, narrowly missing. I knew I needed to make my move now, before any of us died.

"Now _left_!" I roared, and Zoë pulled the dragon to the left, hard. I half rose, and, with all my might, hurled a wrecking ball towards the wall. "Go, go, _go_!" I yelled, frantic. We were wide open to the archers. The Hunt brought up their bows and fired, bringing down the giants at close range. But return shots fired, and two bodies tumbled off the dragon, fixated with arrows.

"The gates are open!" yelled Annabeth. "Get out of here!" Zoë turned the dragon, and we shot away from the wall. I called the activation word for the wrecking ball as we did, hoping against hope that it would work.

There was a rumble, and then the wall blew apart. Screams of pain and terror sounded as orange flames shattered the wall to pieces. The magically constructed black marble wall was utterly destroyed, the power of the wrecking ball's power systematically ripping apart the molecules upon each inch of conjured stone. Half of the Laistragonians were blown to pieces; the other half were blown off what remained of the wall.

The entire half of the wall was nothing but rubble. Behind its ruins, three thousand men gaped in shock at the immense hole in the defenses. I, on the other hand, had seen it before. I had killed before. I fought down the horror and shame, wrenching my gaze aside from the horrifying image I had created.

"Go!" I yelled to Zoë. "That won't keep them forever." She nodded, and we swooped towards the open gate. A hundred men stood in the opening, weapons drawn in an attempt to keep us out.

Fools.

The dragon sent a sheet of flames into the opening, and the elite of Hyperion's mortal troops dove for cover as fire flooded into the gate, leaving only a score or so hiding behind pillars.

Amid the fiery inferno, we landed on the black marble floor. Me, Thalia, Annabeth, Percy, Silena, Cassandra and Soaron leapt of the dragon, weapons drawn. The Hunt began to fire, arrows streaking around us at the warriors. The dragon hissed, then lashed out with one foot, snapping the neck of the man with a glancing blow. Behind us, the gates swung shut as Soaron released the magic.

One of the swordsmen lunged at me, swiping at my throat. I tilted my shield, knocking his blow aside, then lunged to pierce him through.

To my surprise, he managed to block. All right, then – I had to get fancy. I feinted a leg sweep, and when he jumped above my spear, I rammed my shield forward, catching the man in the face. He fell.

I tossed my shield at a man threatening to cut down Annabeth, slamming him in the side of the head, and she rammed him in the throat with a knife. Turning, I stalked towards another group of massing swordsman. One of them stabbed out; an arrow brought him down before he was close. Whipping my spear around me, I responded in kind.

I was unaware of pain or pity that I felt. Blows struck off my armor and my spear, but I didn't feel them. I spun, spear whirling, to pierce eye, throat, leg… I lost track. Blood was all around me; none of it was mine.

A few minutes later, the hall was silent. It was littered with corpses, none of them familiar. A quick glance around confirmed that no more of us were dead – but Annabeth and Silena were both badly wounded, Silena in the shoulder, Annabeth in the leg.

"All right," I said, breathing heavily. "Everyone, switch to celestial." Zoë stepped up to the dragon and loosened the bundle tied around its neck. It fell to the ground, and everyone traded in the steel weapon that we had used against the mortals for our celestial weapons that we normally used.

In front of us loomed the archway leading to the inner chambers of Hyperion. Behind it, Iris had told us, were two Aetheopian drakons – immense serpents that matched the dragon for brute strength and power.

"Everyone ready?" I asked. Everyone nodded. I placed a wrecking ball halfway up the door, then ran back, calling the activation word as I did. The door exploded inwards, and we charged in. As we did, the dragon roared, sending a sheet of flame over our heads, blinding and burning those inside.

The Hunt opened fire, and two dozen arrows hissed overhead, about half finding their targets. The Tartarian spawn inside vaporized with mournful howls. I jabbed, and another one disappeared. It was then that I saw the drakons.

Two immense serpents, huge beyond comparison, loomed above us. Eyes filled with ruby-colored hate stared with icy disdain down upon us; their thick bodies were covered with razor-edged emerald scales.

Then the dragon sent another burst of flame, and the drakons disappeared behind a veil of dancing fire. I impaled another spawn, then set off at a run. Towards the drakon that slowly appeared beyond the smoke and fire.

It lunged, but not at me. As far as it was concerned, I was the size of a rat, and of about the same importance. Its target was its distant cousin: the dragon.

At camp, we had often argued about who would win in a battle of drakon-on-dragon. However, given the two-to-one odds the drakons would prevail.

The dragon responded with another raging torrent of fire, but the drakon managed to withdraw in time to avoid damage. Zoë, crouched upon the dragon's neck, yelled a command, and a flock of arrows rained on the drakon. Not one of them did any damage.

The drakon drew back to strike at the dragon again, and I slipped my spear between its body and the ground. As I braced it firmly against the ground, the drakon lunged, its body slamming to earth – straight down upon my spear. The wooden handle snapped, but the drakon's own strength and weight drove the spear deep into its scaly underside. The drakon screamed its fury, abandoning its attack to glare at me with pain in its glowing eyes.

While it was distracted, the dragon lunged, wings snapping open, and buried its fangs in the creature's neck. The emerald scales resisted briefly, then abruptly gave way. The dragon's fangs closed tightly, and then pulled away, wings flapping hard. With a huge ripping noise, the entire plate of scales covering the drakon's neck was pulled away, leaving a reddish mass of blood and bone.

The Hunt didn't wait for an invitation. Even as the dragon roared in triumph and the drakon hissed in pain, they opened fire, sending arrows by the dozens to pierce the massive target. The hissing died to a gurgling, and the drakon swayed, hate-filled ruby orbs fixing the dragon. Then Thalia blasted it in the throat with a miniature lightning bolt, and, slowly, it toppled over, crushing numerous spawn as it did.

The other drakon, taking advantage of the dragon's distraction, lunged, but Soaron threw up a barrier of light. The drakon's lunging fangs struck it, and the barrier shattered like glass – but the drakon curled back, hissing angrily. The dragon turned its attention to the new challenger, almost comical in its exasperation. The drakon spat a glob of poison, but the dragon withdrew, and spat a burst of flame in return.

A spawn leapt at me, and, weaponless after my stunt with the spear, I fell back. I jumped atop the end of the dead drakon's tail, drawing a knife from my belt as I did. The spawn leapt atop the tail, jaws snapping. I swung my knife, drawing a line of blood along its neck and turning its bite aside. As it landed, I sidestepped the scything claws and buried my knife in its neck. It vaporized – but three others clawed their way up the drakon's tail, snarling in rage. I scrambled further up the drakon's body, towards its neck, where there was only room for one spawn to attack at a time. When I felt claws scrape my heels, I suddenly turned, stabbing out. I had meant to hit it in the eye, but instead struck straight into its mouth. Luckily, the creature vaporized before it could close its jaws and remove my offending hand. The other two advanced, one lunging. I dodged and, grabbing it by the thick hair, shoved it off the drakon's body. It fell six feet to the ground, where Beckendorf smashed its head in with a bronze mace.

The remaining wolf leapt, claw slicing; I dove underneath it and rolled, plunging my knife into the creature's backside. It howled and turned, wrenching the knife out of my hands. As it snapped at me, I grabbed its ears and forced its head downwards, wrestling with the beast to keep the salivating mouth away from my flesh. It snarled, tossing its head to and fro, but I grimly held on. I knew that any lapse could mean my death.

Then, there was a flash of flame and a swipe of claws; I caught a whiff of horse hair and of metal. Tammi was abruptly there, and with a furious snarl, she lashed out with a claw, severing the wolf's head from its body.

"You _finally _showed up," she complained, crossing her arms. "I was beginning to think you had given up."

"Never," I responded. "Come on – we've got work to do." I ran to the wall and seized two spears off a wall hanging. Tammi leapt back

Glancing around, I saw that the battle itself was still not in our favor. In the center of the room fought the remaining drakon and the dragon; the dragon seemed to be winning, and numerous superficial wounds were visible on its opponent's body. Surrounding the dragon was the Hunt and the heroes, holding back at least fifty of the spawn that were in turn surrounding them. They held the wolves off from the dragon; after all, they could distract it and make it easy prey for the drakon. We were running out of time.

I ran towards the dragon, spears whirling. Quickly, I made myself a path to the dragon, through the two battling groups. Dropping my spears, I climbed up the dragon, ignoring the small cuts in my hands and feet from the steel plates. The dragon ignored me; Zoë, on the other hand, did not.

"Clarisse?" she yelled over the noise of the battle. "What are you doing here?"

"Just make the drakon open its mouth!" I yelled back, one hand digging in my pack. Looking bewildered, Zoë obeyed; she snatched up her yew bow and fired. Her aim was true, and her arrow struck the drakon in the flickering tongue. It hissed, mouth opening – and I threw the wrecking directly into the yawning pit of poison and fangs, shouting the activation word as I did.

The drakon convulsed, and then its head exploded. Chunks of flesh, scale, and blood flew everywhere, while the still-intact trunk collapsed, the head now just a few bone fragments.

The dragon roared in triumph, then, possibly at a command from Zoë, sent a blast of flame and heat towards the advancing spawn, incinerating many. The heroes charged again, and the spawn fell back in disarray.

I jumped off the dragon again, seized my spears, and drove one of them into the nearest wolf. Most of the creatures were gone by now, leaving just a few of the broad-shouldered hellhounds. We advanced, sure of victory.

Then, the gate from which we had originally entered shuddered as it was struck by a massive impact. But the huge wooden door, backed by the iron portcullis, held firm.

"Zoë" Annabeth called. She was pale, her thigh wound slowing her down – but she still had the same deadly tactical mind that she always did. "Move the dragon to the gates – help to hold the door!"

This time, Zoë didn't try to stop and argue. She leaned to the left, and the dragon obediently stopped mid-swipe and turned away, trotting over to the gate and sitting, tail lashing impatiently, hissing and growling each time the door was struck again.

The Hunt had drawn their bows, and sent another volley, cutting the ranks of the remaining spawn in two. The wolves of Tartarus charged, snarling – their final stand against us. Neatly and efficiently, we cut them down. Within two minutes, they were dead. I stayed on my feet, breathing lightly, adrenaline still running through my body. But every other person in the room dropped their weapons and sank to the ground, panting in exhaustion. I looked at them, trying to think of something encouraging to say, but couldn't think of anything.

"Wow," commented Tammi from behind me. "You guys are a lot more energetic than most people your age, that's for sure." Percy turned, saw Tammi, and instantly lashed out with his sword. I blocked hurriedly, before either of them could hurt each other.

"It's all right, it's all right, she's a friend!" I yelled. Percy stepped back warily, watching Tammi.

"I know you," Percy said slowly, staring at the _empousa_. "You're… Tammi. You tried to kill me on my first day of school. Right?"

Tammi shrugged. "A misunderstanding," she said. "I though Hekate had asked me to."

"Didn't she?" asked Percy, looking a little confused. Annabeth put him out of his confusion.

"No. She's one of our allies – but right now, it's not her we need to worry about." She turned to look at us, her face bleak. "We have a Titan to take down first."

The door to Hyperion's private chamber was set into the far wall, malevolent despite its utter stillness. To our rear was the main door, shut and barred with the portcullis, but still under siege by the outside force. The castle itself was ours, for the time being.

"Acacia, " I said wearily. "Take a few Hunters and scan through the citadel. Bianca should be in here somewhere. Careful – there might still be some servants and mortals around. Take steel weapons. Tammi – you, too." They nodded and ran off.

"Okay," said Annabeth, climbing to her feet with a grunt of pain. "Since we destroyed the bell towers, the army probably sent a runner to the wall to get the dragons. If he's fast, it'll take him around twenty minutes to get all the way up there, then another ten minutes or so for him to find a way to alert all of the dragons. Then another two minutes for the dragons to get here. There are three thousand mortal troops that'll fight on pain of death, a few giants left after the explosion, and forty-eight dragons. We could hold out for less than an hour against all of them – but we need all of our strength to attack Hyperion. That leaves us with about fifteen minutes to defeat Hyperion and show his body to the troops before they kill us."

"Shouldn't be too hard," Percy said. "Thirty of us, one of him – I think we have the edge. Silena, Annabeth – you guys are wounded. Stay with the dragon." They nodded reluctant assent.

"Let's go," I said. "Zoë, keep the dragon by the door, and hold there until the dragons arrive. When they do, we'll send people back to hold out. Everyone, I'll bust open the door and run in. Beckendorf, Percy, Soaron, Thalia, and Cassandra, in with me. Hunt, file in after us and spread out. Be ready to shoot. Ready?"

Everyone nodded.

"Then go!" I charged the door and struck it with the point of my armored shoulder. It burst off its hinges, and I continued my charge into the room, spears raised.

And then stopped dead.

Hyperion slouched comfortably in a huge chair at the end of the room. He was dressed for battle, in a black-and-red painted steel breastplate and platelegs. A dark red cape flowed down his back – the color of blood. In one hand he held a goblet of red wine, a little bit out of place in his battle-scarred hands. In the other, he held a monstrous sword.

The tip was at Bianca di Angelo's throat.

Hyperion took a sip of the wine, eyes never leaving my face. "I wouldn't try anything foolish if I were you," he warned, serious and mocking at the same time. "Your little friend here might get hurt."

Everyone else was inside the room, but nobody did anything yet. They were looking to me, I knew, for orders. To set an example.

Bianca's eyes were closed, and she didn't look at me. She wore a tattered and frayed red dress. It was too small, and showed too much skin to be decent. Far too much of that skin was torn, bloodied, and bruised. The shoulder of the dress was stained with brown – the color of old blood. If not for the shuddering breaths that racked her body, I would've thought her dead.

"This is good wine," Hyperion commented, swirling the glass around with small motions of his wrist. "Rumbouer Malbec, I believe. I would offer you a glass, my dear Clarisse, but I fear I can't trust you to come so close without stabbing me."

"Shut up," I responded with eloquence. "And put Bianca down – she has nothing to do with this." My voice was a masterpiece – authoritative and confident. It showed none of the indecision I faced.

Hyperion chuckled and took another sip of wine. "Such indecision," he sighed, shaking in his head. "I can feel the chaos of your emotions within you. Frankly, it's impressive. I never realized that mortals were capable of such complex thought. I would applaud you, but, as you can see, my hands are otherwise occupied at the moment."

I took a cautious step forward. "We can settle this in a more civilized manner. Face it – you're going to kill Bianca, whether I surrender to you or not. You're just waiting for your dragons to arrive, and then you'll kill us all. But if I kill you, you'll be just as dead. Killing Bianca won't bring you back." The logical thing to do would be to charge him, kill him. What was one life against the freedom of a nation? Only, I answered myself, the difference between right and wrong.

My father would charge, anyways. He would win, but Bianca would die. But I didn't need to be my father anymore. I could step out from underneath his shadow. I could be my own person.

"True," Hyperion acknowledged my earlier words with a slight inclination of his head. "But I can feel the softness of your heart under the toughness of your character. She fought for you. She trusted you. You wouldn't condemn her to death for that."

Percy would surrender, and save his friend. But in doing so, he would condemn us all to death. But I wasn't Percy, either.

Janus was standing before me, tossing the silver key to my destiny, smiling, always smiling. But the two doorways that countless others had taken before me weren't the only ways out of the labyrinth of the nightmare.

I was my own person. I wasn't Perseus Jackson or Annabeth Chase. I didn't have to live in their shadows. I wasn't Ares, even though I was his daughter. I was my own free soul, able to mold myself into whatever I chose to become.

And _this_, I realized, was why we were to fight the Titans. The divine beings ruled this earth, and while they did, we lost our freedom. There were three thousand mortals hammering on the gates right now in an attempt to save Hyperion – but, frankly, not one of them really cared about what happened to him. They were once three thousand little boys, and I doubted that they all wanted to be soldiers when they grew up. Because of Hyperion, they had to give up their dreams. Because of Hyperion, they would fight and die.

Unless I stopped it all. Here and now.

I opened my eyes to look at Hyperion. Not angry any longer, not hateful, but calm. His smile faltered as he felt the chaos of my emotions abruptly cease. I had found Ariadne's string, and never again would I be lost in the labyrinth. I had seen the sun, and I would not descend below the ground once again. I was free.

"Last chance, Hyperion," I said softly. "Let her go, and tell your men to stand down. There's no point in wasting lives.'

He chuckled. "Come now, Clarisse. There is nothing you can do. My dragons will soon arrive, and you will be forced to surrender or die."

I ignored the Titan and looked at Percy, standing next to me. For a moment, my eyes bored into his, and we could see and understand the other. We had both tried to assume responsibility for Bianca, and we had both failed. But now, we were to redeem ourselves. It was time to put things right again.

_Be ready,_ I told him silently. He nodded, the slightest motion of his head.

And we moved.

My revolver slid smoothly out of my belt, and I raised, loaded, and fired in a single motion. The celestial bullet struck Hyperion on the crook of his elbow that he held the sword with. He roared in shock and anger, instinctively clutching his arm to his chest. Percy leapt, body twisting in midair, Anaklusmos out and swinging, knocking Hyperion's blade away from himself and – more importantly – from Bianca. I lunged, spear leading, and Hyperion twisted aside to avoid it, dropping his wineglass to shatter on the ground. In that second, Percy grabbed Bianca and rolled aside, away from the wounded Titan.

I stepped back, giving Hyperion a chance to recover. Driving him into a panic, I knew, would endanger us all. Gritting his teeth, the Titan rose. Ichor trickled from his arm, pooling before separating into two small streams. The larger stream of gold went directly into the red liquid of his wine, while the other went into the clear, crystalline glass.

Calmly, I tucked the revolver back into my belt and picked up my discarded spear.

Then a roar echoed through the castle, and the entire citadel shook as something monstrous struck the stone. Smoke began to drift through the air as the tremors continued. Hyperion smiled, even as he clutched at his wounded arm.

The dragons had arrived.

"Thalia, take the Hunt and place them in covered spots within the main room. Percy, take Bianca to a room, lock the door, and guard her. Everyone else, to the main hall to hold out the dragons. Hyperion is mine." There was no time for argument. Everybody left hurriedly, leaving just me and Hyperion.

I raised my spears, leveling the points directly at Hyperion. In reply, the Titan raised his own immense sword, burnished metal that reflected the torchlight.

And I lunged.

Even wounded as he was, Hyperion was faster and stronger than I was – but I pressed him, using my two long weapons to their best advantage against his one. I forced him to defend while I searched for openings. Steadily, I drove him backwards, not hurried, not excited, but calm.

He disengaged and stepped back, sword at the ready. I lunged, and, instead of blocking, he stepped forward, too close for our weapons to be of use. Instead, his fist struck me in the stomach, striking armor and powering through it, bending the steel like paper. As I doubled over, his knee struck me in the face. I staggered back, tasting blood, and he swung the sword in an arc towards my head.

Barely in time, I brought up my spears and crossed them in an X, and his blade was halted in midair. I disengaged and then lunged in again with deadly speed. He stepped back to avoid getting skewered. I spat out blood and lunged again.

The Titan backed into a stairwell, aiming a stab as he did. I caught his blade between my spears and wrenched it to the side, trying to pull the sword out of his hand. He twisted the sword, and I had to release it before it damaged my spears.

He swung at my head, and sparks flew as it scraped the wall behind my head. I stabbed at his foot, driving through the armor and drawing blood. He cursed and kicked, striking me in my shoulder. I swayed, nearly falling, then thrust at his head. He continued up the winding staircase.

I followed, keeping my eyes only on his sword. He feinted, trying to catch me off balance, but I held steady. He moved, and I turned the corner, spears crossed to defend myself.

As I went up the last step, a burst of sunlight took my by surprise; the sun was rising. We were atop the palace, on the flat roof surrounded by turrets. Sunlight flickered through the spaces in the soaring spires, lending a supernatural golden glow to the scene.

Hyperion swung again, and I swayed backwards to avoid the blow, swirling my spears in front of me in an attempt to drive Hyperion backwards. His sword swirled just as fast, countering the blows and stepping closer.

I feinted towards his head, and the drove the other spear towards his stomach. He knocked aside the spear with a quick circle of his sword, then leapt to the side as my other spear drove through the space where his head had been seconds earlier. He swiped, but I knocked the sword aside and stepped back to regain the distance necessary for my spears.

"Most impressive," the Titan commented as we circled. "It takes incredible strength and skill to wield two long weapons with such control. Most do not accomplish such mastery of a weapon in their entire lifetime." He stepped in, lunging for my throat.

"My life has been spent training for this moment," I replied. I whipped my spears around in a complicated pattern, forcing him to step back further.

"You have spent your whole life practicing for the moment you meet me?" Hyperion asked. "I'm touched, Clarisse; I was starting to think you didn't care." Raising his sword, he sent a blast of chaos towards me. I ducked, but it had never been meant to hit. As it struck the ground, the black marble bubbled and reformed into a blob of chaos – a ten-foot tall creature with pink-orange Jello-like flesh with claw-tipped tentacles – that lunged at me.

I ducked, blocked Hyperion's blow, and then hurled one of my spears at the creature. It knocked it aside – but in the moment it was distracted, I pole vaulted off my spear, landing where the creature's neck might have been. Drawing my dagger, I cut across the thing's throat. It gurgled, and I stabbed deeper, wrenching the knife from side to side. It swayed, then toppled forward. I lightly jumped off its back, landing, and elegantly plucked my other spear out of the dissolving mess and stood ready.

"Very stylish," Hyperion commented. Then he lunged. I spun my spear, and his blow was deflected to the side. Without the expected resistance, he stumbled forward, and I stabbed into his side with the other spear. He let loose a hideous cry of pain and fury and stepped backwards.

The fortress below us shuddered, and I heard the roar of a dragon. Flames briefly lit the shadows on the far side of the fortress, where the light of the sun had not yet touched. The remains of the bell tower fell, and the enormous bell rang once before it was crushed by ten tons of black marble.

"Hear that?" I asked the Titan, breathing hard. "The bell tolls for you, Hyperion, and for the end of the Sixth Age!" I renewed my attack on him, spears whirling. He met me evenly, sword flashing in the light of the early morning.

Hyperion spun and cut down, directly at my head. I crossed my spears and threw them over my head, one bracing the other for extra leverage. The sword cut halfway through one of the spears and lodged there, inches from my hand.

Dropping my other spear, I seized the damaged one and twisted viciously, wrenching the sword from his hand. With a jerk of my spear, I tossed the sword over the edge of the roof. For a moment, we both watched it spiral down to the ground. Then I pivoted hard and slammed the haft of the spear into his face. He staggered, and I lunged, spear aiming for his throat. He swung his hand, striking the spear and snapping off the already damaged head.

I rolled backwards, dropping the broken one and seizing the one I had dropped earlier. Hyperion scooped up the wooden handle of my other spear and concentrated, completely at ease. As I watched in astonishment, the wood dissolved into a puddle of chaos and reformed into a sword identical to the one he had lost earlier.

"Come now, Clarisse dear," said Hyperion mockingly. "You didn't _really_ believe I could be defeated so easily, did you?" He pointed his sword, and five blasts of chaos shot out, and the creatures of chaos appeared. I spun my spear, unsure of how to best take on five at once. They surrounded me, claws extended, snarling in anticipation.

Behind me, Hyperion chuckled.

Then the roof exploded, chunks of black marble thrown everywhere. A hiss, a snap, a flash of dull green – that was all I saw before three of the beings collapsed, dissolving. I looked on in shock.

"No way…" I breathed. "We killed it."

The drakon, dripping gore from the wound in its throat, towered above us. Dark green blood dripped from the wound that had killed it. It towered through the hole it had just made in the roof.

The chaos beings withdrew, hissing in alarm, but Hyperion stood firm. "Drakon, destroy her!" he commanded, pointing to me. I raised my spears, even as I realized the futility of fighting it.

"He is no longer one of your minions to command, Titan," said a cold voice from the staircase. Bianca stood there, tall, straight, and proud. Her eyes were colder than even her voice, without a shred of pity or remorse for the Titan. She wore the black armor of Hades that we had found in the desert, although I had no idea how she had gotten it. Darkness radiated from it, power that matched the power that came from Hyperion. Behind her, hand on her shoulder, stood Percy, Anaklusmos out.

"Godling, test not my power," Hyperion snarled. "I have had enough. It is time to end this feeble rebellion, once and for all. Rise, my creatures!" His hand stiffened into a claw, and his roar echoed through the city. For a moment, everything was still. Then the light of the sun abruptly was blocked out. I looked up to see why.

The dragons of Hyperion had abandoned their assault on the citadel. They now hovered above us, black silhouettes against the sun, fiendlike and demonic in appearance. On each of them sat a black-armored man.

Then, the roof of the palace exploded again, and threw the new hole came our own dragon, snarling and roaring its challenge. The Hunt and the heroes leapt off to stand around it protectively. "Dragon handlers!" Zoë called. "Wait! Hear us out!"  
Some of the dragons shifted as they hovered, perhaps conveying their riders' indecision. None attacked.

Percy stepped forward, taking up Zoë's pleas. "We don't want to fight you," he told them. "We never did. You – the humans of this city and this world – are why we are here. Do you want to fight? I don't think so. I think you are here because you are scared. Scared of the Titan, scared of what he will do to your families and friends." He paused, letting his words sink in – or maybe trying to think of what to say next. "Hyperion has abolished all freedom and made the idea of justice into a joke. We're here to set things right again, after seventy years of slavery. If you kill us, you will live and die under Hyperion, as will your children, your grandchildren, and all generations to come."

"You would have done better to stay dead, son of Poseidon," growled the Titan. "My people! These are demigods, terrorists from the Fifth age, spawn of the greatest evil that has ever walked this earth! Their words are lies and evil designed to destroy your loyalty. Do not listen!"

"The Titans are the evil," Percy replied. "Our fathers kept their distance. They let humans rule themselves. Most mortals never even knew they existed! The Titans, in order to better rule this earth, have brainwashed and tricked you. It's time to open your eyes and see the truth. The Titans are oppressors. If you just stop fighting us, with your help, we will make this place like it once was!"

"This place was a cesspool of famine and plague!" roared Hyperion. "War and corruption ran rampant! They lie. This was no perfect world – it was worse than Tartarus itself! Fight for me, and I will shower you with riches beyond your imagination!"

Two dragons, hearing these words, were ushered into a dive by their handlers, coming for us, snarling. They never made it. Our own dragon, flapped and rose into the air, twisted above one of them, and clamped claws in its wings, driving the other, smaller dragon to the ground, where he pinned it to the ground. The undead drakon snapped at the other, managing to catch it between its teeth in a way so that the wings and claws were pinned. The drakon started to bite down, but Percy placed a hand on Bianca's shoulder, shaking his head. She shrugged indifferently, and the drakon loosened its grip slightly. Percy continued.

"Hyperion tries to motivate you with promises of wealth and status that he will never grant. We don't even ask you to fight – we just ask that you don't die to serve the darkness. We have respect for mortal lives." He whispered to Bianca, and the drakon opened its mouth, allowing the dragon to squirm out again, whimpering slightly. Zoë ushered her dragon to step off the dragon he had pinned down, and that one, too, took the skies.

"Lies!" shouted Hyperion. "They stole a dragon! They killed its handler! Does this not prove their guilt?"  
"We tied him up!" I yelled. "_We _don't take life for granted. When we finish here, we will let him go. Hyperion has no respect for him. He doesn't even know his name, even though the handler has worked here for years! He only uses the man as leverage to attempt to convince you to follow lies."

This, I realized, was a battle every bit as important as the one I had fought against Hyperion, I realized. But this was a fight that we would have time and time again, as we cast down the Titans. There were always two battles to fight, one against the divine beings themselves, the other to win the hearts of mortal men.

For a long, long moment, everything was still. Then, abruptly, a single dragon turned and flew away towards the distant wall. All of us watched it go, flapping lazily in the fresh morning air. Then, in a flash of color and motion, every dragon followed it away, towards the wall that was their home. They were free.

Hyperion snarled in anger and turned to face us. "You will pay for this," he snarled. "You will pay for this _dearly_, godlings." His form began to shimmer and glow. Heat struck me, swirling past me. A great cry of anger echoed dimly through my ears, a cry of pure malevolent fury.

I knew what was happening. Hyperion was taking on his true divine form, and, in his prescence, all would be incinerated. Most of my friends were far enough to avoid it; the ones that weren't scrambled farther. But I was not five feet from the Titan. His power had transfixed me.

Every inch of my skin began to burn with pain. I would have cried out, but I couldn't move an inch. Winds swirled around me, buffeting me and swirling around me. I couldn't hear, I couldn't feel, and I could see only the blinding vortex of chaos that was Hyperion.

Then, from far away, I heard a distant song of music. The smell of sand and of warmth filled my nostrils, and soothing warmth filled my body, easing the pain. I saw, from far, far away, a stream in a desert oasis, surrounded by palm trees that waved gently in the heat.

_Have faith, Clarisse. I am with you. _I felt power running through me, and I struggled to rise against the raging winds. The power of Isis filled me once again with warmth and love, like that of Hestia, so long ago.

Hyperion was transformed. Instead of the coldly handsome man in armor, he was twenty feet tall in armor. Skeletal hands clutched a ten-foot long sword. Underneath his helm I caught a glimpse of a skull with raging pits of fire in his eyes. Chaos swirled around his figure, blasts of power that resonated in my bones.

I stood. I had done what no mortal before me had ever done. I now beheld an immortal in their true divine form, and I still drew breath. But I was going to do more than that. I was going to finish the battle.

With leaden fingers, I reached down and picked up my spear from the ground. It was no longer the simple ornament from Hyperion's wall; now, it was my spear, the one Hekate gave to me, the one with the power of an _empousa _within it. It was half-melted, but as I touched it, new life sprang into it, and it was transformed. I now clutched a spear with intricate patterns in black paint running down cedar wood. The spear head was made of dark celestial bronze, and the tip of it shone white-hot.

From my shoulders, wings unfolded, and I crouched. Isis I felt within me, and despite the chaos around me, I was untouched.

"Hyperion," we called, gazing at the dark Titan. "It's time to put an end to this." The head turned, the flaming eyes fixing upon me in shock.

We leapt, as one, wings outspread, spear poised. Hyperion sent a wave of chaos to meet us, but life coursed through us, and it refused to give in and be broken. The wave broke over us, and we drew our spear back, ready. We lunged…

And, together, we thrust. The spear, burning with our life and energy, pierced the armor, sliding deep within to pierce the heart of the darkness. Our power flowed through the spear, and the patterns and runes along the side lit up as we thrust the light of life into the form of Hyperion.

For a brief moment, our eyes met his. Then Iris's power surged through my body, and I channeled it, adding to the river of might within us, mortal and divine.

There was an explosion, and we somersaulted backwards, blown backwards as if by an immense hand. I landed hard on my feet, staggering backwards to keep my balance. I cast my eyes about for Hyperion. I then saw the body, in mortal form once again, lying spread eagled on the roof.

Hyperion, Titan Lord of the MidAmerican deserts, was dead. But I felt no triumph, just sadness and darkness. The world spun before me.

_Clarisse._ The voice was Isis's, but far weaker than before. It emanated from my spear. I reached down and picked up the still-glowing wood. _Isis_?

_Listen to me, because I do not have very much time left before I will be too weak to speak. You have slain Hyperion, and now, you carry his essence within you. It will hurt you, badly, if you continue to carry it within your mortal form. _Warmth slowly moved into my arm, soothing my aching muscles. _I will draw him into this spear, and then use what power I have left to seal it. Be careful with this weapon – it now contains the might of three immortals within it._

_ What about you, Isis? Will you be stuck in there, too._

_ I am weak, Clarisse. I do not have the energy left to remain in physical form. I will stay in this spear, safe, until I can be strong again. When you have finished your war with the Titans, bring this spear to my homeland, and leave it on the banks of the River Nile. Then, in three days' time, I will be strong enough to break my seal._

_ I'll do that, _I promised. _Thank you, Isis, for everything. _Slowly, painfully, I climbed to my feet, using my spear to support my failing muscles. My friends looked at me in wonder and in awe.

"The Titan Lord Hyperion is dead," I said wearily, every bone in my body throbbing. "Tell the people… tell the soldiers… tell the city that they are finally free." The effort of speaking was too much, and I sank back to the ground again, hating myself for the weakness, and for being unable to muster the strength to best it.

Wordlessly, Bianca walked over to me and put an arm around my shoulder, supporting me. "I'm glad you're safe," I murmured softly. "I was worried that he would kill you."

"It takes more than a Titan to kill me," replied Bianca, smiling slightly – but I could see a slight shadow in her eyes as she recalled it. Then she shook it off and helped me to my feet, bearing most of my weight for me. "You, too, by the looks of it."

"Come on," said Zoë, surprising me by coming around to my other side to support me. Like any friend would do. "It's time to go home."

Our real home – Camp Half-Blood – was gone, perhaps forever. But Iris's house remained a sanctuary, a home even while it was not ours. A place where we could rest and be free of the Titans, just for a little while.

Slowly, I limped towards the dragon that awaited us. The sunlight of the new dawn continued to rise above us. A dawn of freedom. The dawn of the Seventh Age.

**Finally, another chapter… And with the next one, this story will end. Thanks to all of you for your reading and your reviews! That includes Maneki Neko, Hera's Little Girl, It was all a PUZZLR, and ZoeNightshade2214. **

** I have been very busy over the summer, but most of my activities have ended. I will now actually have the time for writing and replying to reviews. Hope you all have been having a great summer!**

**~Sa Rart~**


	17. The Parting of Ways

**Year 73 of the Titans**

**Monday, May 2****nd**

**Present Day**

Three days had passed since the great battle against Hyperion. Since then, we had been working, virtually nonstop. News spread quickly about Hyperion's fall; before long, the entire countryside seemed to know what had happened. We had to hope that no immortals heard of it.

The first thing we had done was to nail up printed newsletters all over the city containing the _real _state of affairs, not the blatant propaganda that Hyperion seemed to be so fond of. We had promised all of the people their freedom, and the right to rule themselves. Iris had told us that, for the most part, they believed us. Even more importantly, Hyperion's army and his dragon handlers had sided with us. Well… most of them, anyways. One had escaped and made an attempt to contact the rest of the Titans. Unfortunately for him, the Titan he tried to tell on was Hekate… and, apparently, she didn't take too kindly to it. So no harm done.

But we hadn't escaped completely unscathed, either. Six Huntresses were dead, thee from arrows shot by the Laistragonians, one from the army of spawn, and two from the dragon's assault while I fought Hyperion – including my old friend and rival, Phoebe. Silena had nearly had one hand severed by a dragon, but, with Iris's help, she had regained partial control of it. All other wounds were superficial in comparison. Now, over breakfast, we discussed how to proceed with our conquering of the world.

"I can stay here for now," volunteered Beckendorf. "I'll help them to set up a government and some defenses in case some of the other Titans figure out what happened here." He grinned, a little sheepishly, at the rest of us. He had just voted for himself as the leader of Las Vegas, after all. "If you don't mind?" he added.

"That's good," replied Iris. "I'll stay, too, for now. Las Vegas can use a person with my talents right now. Until the new leader is elected, we need to watch for potential traitors. It isn't easy to undo seventy years of brainwashing in a single weekend."

"Get someone very, very, old to be the leader," Annabeth advised Beckendorf. "Someone respected that is a good talker, someone that remembers what it was like before the Titans came. We need someone with a base in the old world, someone who didn't quite believe all of the lies the Titans told. Someone who might remember what it was like before."

"So where to now?" asked Thalia, ignoring Annabeth. "Where will we go first?" She rubbed her hands together, eager for the challenge. "We've certainly got our work cut out for us." She glanced down the map Iris had made for us. Hyperion's corner was now colored blue; Hekate's was white. The rest of the world was a dull crimson.

"I'd say South America," Bianca commented, also inspecting the map. "There's only one Titan – Thea – whereas in Europe, there are three. It's more isolated, easier to get to, and more sparsely populated. She can't have many mortal troops on her side."

"Wouldn't it be best to break up the strongest parts first?" asked Annabeth. "It would gain more popular support, and it would be more difficult for the lone Titans to resist. We want to take down the strongest now, before they realize what's happening."

"But if we can take down the lone Titans before the big ones notice, it'll be just the same – but we have all the people who want to fight for us that we won in our battles with the lone Titans." Silena said. "Right?" She looked around

"But they could easily realize what is happening, and then we would be doomed," said Soaron, delicately and deliberately cutting the pit out of a peach. "It's like the fruit here – if you take out the core first, then the rest of it falls more easily." He popped the peach into his mouth and closed his fist on the pit. When he opened his palm, it was a pile of dust.

"Vivid," I muttered.

"I want to get my sword," Zoë announced. "It could help us in the fight against the Titans. Not all of us can travel to it – only Perseus and I should go."

"Why's that?" asked Silena, leaning forward conspiratorially. Her eyes held a glint of the mischief that they had lost over the last few weeks.

Zoë glared at the daughter of Aphrodite, suspecting a subtly hidden suggestion under the innocent question. "Because it is underwater!" she exploded, eyes flashing. "I need to go because it is my sword, and I am the only one _capable _of getting it. Perseus I need because he can breathe underwater and because he can allow _me_ to breathe underwater if Pleione no longer grants me the gift. Others will be dead weight – or just dead. Especially the annoying, talkative ones." She sent another death glare in Silena's direction before turning back to the map.

"Temper tantrum," muttered Soaron under his breath, reaching for another piece of fruit. Zoë spun to glare at him, shooting sparks, and Beckendorf hurriedly stepped between them. "Quit bugging people," he told the mage. "And you," he told Zoë firmly. "Quit blowing up at people. The enemy's out there, and it's _them _you should save the squabbling for."

"That's all true," I commented, intervening before Zoë could blow up again. "But why can't we do all of these things at once?"

Uproar reigned for a brief moment, everyone wanting to know what I was planning and how I expected to go about it.

"It's simple," I said, speaking firmly and loudly over the noise. I waited as, gradually, everyone began to calm down. "Zoë wants to get her sword. So she and Percy swim down to wherever it is and get it. Soaron and Annabeth want to go to Europe – so you guys go to Europe and start working on a rebellion there. Bianca wants to go to South America – so she and I can go there. Thalia and Cassandra could go to Africa, and then Silena and Tammi could go to Asia. The Hunt could split up, a few Huntresses with every pair. This isn't final, of course – just a suggestion."

Again, pandemonium was ensured for a good minute or two after my little speech. "The only reason we beat Hyperion is because we were all together! How do you expect us to win when there are only five people per country?"

"Why would we want to split up?"

"The Hunt functions best as a whole, not as separate parts!"

I patiently waited for the noise to die down. It didn't – so I took the less patient approach.

Standing, I slammed my fist against the table several times, making everyone flinch. "Listen to yourselves!" I yelled. "There's too many of us here. Everyone thinks that they have the best ideas, and we can't get a single thing done. In small groups, it's a lot easier to make decisions. Now, maybe you'll let me explain my other reasons?"

Silence.

"Good. There is fierce rivalry between most Titans. Kronos meant for that to happen when he first gave them their kingdoms, so that nobody would be powerful enough to rebel against him. If they are having internal troubles, they're hardly likely to admit it to each other until it's dealt with! They'll all be struggling against us, unwilling to trust one another, and, while they're busy struggling, they won't even notice when the others fall.

"We beat Hyperion because of pure luck. I had to release all of you by myself, while Bianca was locked up. Then, when you guys were still weak, we had to break in against a Titan who realized we were here, and was well prepared for us. We had no time to rouse up support among the mortals, and no time for the greater subtleties of a rebellion. It was just a desperate, all-out attack. With any luck, we won't have to be doing any of that anymore. We can enter the cities quietly, stir up rebellion, put ourselves in touch with any existing rebel groups, and gradually bring the Titans down. Hekate can give us supplies, troops, and other things, now that Hyperion is unable to watch her. It'll take a lot more patience, effort, and caution than before, but I think the results will be far better."

"She's right," said Annabeth abruptly. "This is the best way to do it." She held up a list – apparently one she had been working on while I talked. "I think this is the best way to pair up. Percy and Zoë will go for the sword, and then, when they've gotten it, will go to Asia. Soaron and I will go to Europe, as will Cassandra and Thalia – but, since there are several Titans there, so we'll split up. Beckendorf, you'll stay here; when you think Vegas is stable enough without your help, you'll go to Canada with Iris to deal with Krios. Bianca and Clarisse will go to South America, where Thea reigns. We all can meet up in Greece again before taking down Kronos."

"Careful with the names," muttered Percy. "Last time, the Titan Lord tried to hit us with a bolt of lightning when we used his name."

"He didn't just _try _– he did," muttered Zoë. Both of them smiled, as did Thalia, at the memory.

"We need transport," Silena commented. "There are no planes anymore – we can't fly. And a boat will be too slow. We can't be sitting ducks for weeks at a time."

"Hekate might be able to teleport you of her own power," Iris said. "Failing that, you'd have to ride to Alaska, maybe, and take a ship to Asia."  
"Or we could take the dragons," Annabeth commented. "I'm sure the riders could help us pose as messengers or something.

"We'll figure it out as it comes," I said. "I'll send a messenger to Hekate, see what we can do. But for the next few days, we stay here. We've done enough for now – we've earned a bit of a break. In the morning, we can begin to finalize things. For tonight, let's celebrate the downfall of Hyperion, and soon, we will celebrate the end of the Sixth Age." I raised my glass. "To freedom."

"To freedom," everyone chorused, and we drank.

Outside and all beyond, in the city and the countryside, my words were echoed among rejoicing families and friends. Widespread parties and celebrations ran rampant, and statues of the Titan Hyperion were torn down in hundreds of cities. It was like the American Revolution all over again, the continent full of the wild revelries of battle and victory And who could blame them? For the first time in seven decades, they were free.

And soon, the rest of the world would follow.

**And so Timeless draws to an end… Thanks to all my loyal readers and reviewers for hanging on with me for so long. Throughout numerous year-long periods without a word, you have stuck with me. A special thanks to Wolf Chorus, beforestormier, ZoeNightshade2214, and It was all a PUZZLE for your reviews to the last chapter. Reading them granted me the inspiration to continue, time and time again, throughout this story.**

** A very special thank-you goes out to MyPenIsSharperThanYourSword, the greatest reviewer and one of the best writer on the site, for sticking with me and granting me wonderful reviews the entire way.**

** Until the next story, then, which I pray will not be too long in the coming. ~Sa Rart~**


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